Understanding workers’ comp: part 5

The rule explained in “Understanding workers’ comp: part 1” is clear — to have a covered injury a worker must have had an injury by accident — also has notable exceptions. But back injuries without a clear accidental cause, many specific occupational diseases, and other work-related conditions can also be covered under workers’ compensation. Each of these conditions has special rules that determine whether the employer or insurance company will have to pay for medical treatment, time out of work, and permanent injury.

Back injuries happen all too often. When an employee engages in heavy lifting as a regular part of his or her job and has an injury, there may not have been an unusual event that caused the injury. Fortunately injured workers only have to show “a specific traumatic injury” to the neck and back to prove that the injury was work-related. In other words, there has to be a trauma at a point in time that caused the injury, but no unusual event.

If you have a question about workers’ comp, contact the board-certified specialists at Johnson & Groninger PLLC. We can help.