Many jobs require making the same movements over and over, for hours a day. Some of these movements may require more physical exertion and stretching and straining than others. However, all can cause wear and tear on muscles, nerves, tendons and joints over time.
This can lead to what’s known as repetitive stress or cumulative trauma (CT) musculoskeletal injuries. Whether repetitive movements cause CT depends on things like:
- How forceful the movements are
- If there’s any vibrating equipment involved (like a drill or jackhammer)
- The rate of repetition of the movement
- How unnatural the position of the body is during the movement
For example, if a Tesla employee spends their day installing parts on vehicles that are overhead or even if someone is typing on a computer or otherwise doing something with their hands while sitting in a chair that’s the wrong height, that can cause more damage more quickly than if they weren’t in an unnatural posture.
As companies place more pressure on employees to reach daily or even hourly quotas and get more done, the risk of CT injuries rises. As we discussed in a previous post about Amazon fulfillment center workers, they’re especially susceptible to this type of injury due to the fast pace and long hours of their jobs. People who work for high-tech firms, whether Tesla, Apple or one of the many start-ups, are often expected to put in long hours, which only increases the chances of suffering CT and other injuries.
Cumulative trauma claims in California
These injuries can be every bit as disabling as injuries that occur due to an accident. However, it’s harder to prove that they’re work related, which is necessary when seeking workers’ compensation benefits.
Last year, the California Workers’ Compensation Institute (CWCI) published a study of CT injuries reported between 2010 and 2022 and what percentage of workers’ comp claims ended up in court. The study found the percentage of all California litigated workers’ comp claims that involved CT injuries rose from 29.4% to 37.5%.
Remember that you have as much right to seek workers’ comp for a work-related injury that developed over time as one that resulted from a single incident. If you’re having difficulty getting your claim approved, getting legal guidance can help you get the benefits you deserve.