Shoulder injuries in healthcare workers are not uncommon. When you’re the one who’s injured, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits, but where do you turn for help? How do you get the benefits you deserve? You call Calhoon & Kaminsky, P.C.
We’re a law firm that only handles workers’ compensation claims. Our lawyers are committed to ensuring you have all the information you need to make the best possible decisions about your case. More importantly, we’ll be here for you throughout the process. We’ll check in with you, return your calls, and answer all of your questions.
Don’t handle your claim yourself. Call our office today for a free, no-obligation consultation with a Pennsylvania workers’ compensation lawyer. We’ll advise you about your options and help you figure out what to do next. Your case review is fully confidential.
Common Causes of Shoulder Injuries in Healthcare Workers
People who work in health care face daily hazards that people in other industries do not. However, a healthcare worker is as susceptible to shoulder injury at work as people in other occupations where lifting and moving heavy weights, or using their shoulders in other ways, are factors.
Healthcare workers can injure their shoulders in the following ways:
- Moving Patients – Shifting patients from one position to another, or from a wheelchair into a bed or vice versa, can significantly stress the shoulder joint and cause tears or strains.
- Working Long Shifts – Healthcare workers often work long shifts, sometimes without adequate rest breaks. This work pattern results in prolonged physical stress, which can lead to injury.
- Performing Repetitive Motions – Reaching for supplies, adjusting equipment, pushing or pulling carts, or moving equipment from one place to another can all contribute to overuse injuries.
- Responding to Emergencies – Sometimes, healthcare workers are required to lift or catch patients in unsafe positions to prevent them from falling.
Types of Shoulder Injuries Seen in Healthcare Workers
Work-related shoulder injuries in healthcare can include the following:
- Separations of the shoulder
- Tendon injuries
- Nurses’ shoulder (frozen shoulder)
- Torn rotator cuff
- Labral tears
- Bursitis
- Impingement
- Dislocations
- Subluxations
- Broken bones
- Pulled muscles
- Nerve injuries
Do All Healthcare Workers Qualify for Workers’ Compensation?
No. Workers’ compensation is available to employees in healthcare. In Pennsylvania, most employers are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance for their injured workers. However, independent contractors are not covered by this insurance.
What Does Workers’ Compensation Cover?
Pennsylvania workers’ compensation benefits are available to you if you were an employee who was injured while performing your job duties. Available benefits include the following:
- Medical Benefits – Workers’ comp will pay for the medical care required to treat your work-related injury. You must choose a healthcare provider from your employer’s list of preferred providers for the first 90 days of your care. After that, you may choose a different physician.
- Wage Replacement Benefits – You’re entitled to about two-thirds of your pre-injury average weekly wage for as long as your total disability lasts. You’re entitled to these benefits as long as you’re unable to return to work because of your injury. However, if you receive a disability determination that is less than 35 percent, you may be entitled to partial disability benefits. These benefits are payable if you return to a lower-paying job within your work restrictions.
- Specific Loss-of-Use Benefits – If you have lost the use of all or a part of specific body parts or if you have serious and permanent disfigurement on your head, face, or neck, you may be entitled to an award of compensation.
- Death Benefits – If your work injury results in your death, your surviving dependents are entitled to money for funeral and burial expenses and a percentage of your average weekly wage.
A worker’s average weekly wage is calculated by totaling all gross earnings in the 52 weeks prior to the injury and dividing by 52 (or the number of weeks actually worked, if the employee hasn’t been working at the company for a full year).
How to File for Workers’ Comp for Work-Related Shoulder Injuries in Healthcare
You must notify your employer of your injury within 21 days to receive benefits. No compensation is owed until you give notice. You must provide notice no later than 120 days after the injury, or you will not be entitled to compensation at all.
Once you’ve given notice of your injury, your employer is required to report your injury to the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation through a First Report of Injury form. Your employer may accept or deny your claim.
What To Do if a Healthcare Worker’s Comp Claim is Denied
If your employer or their insurer denies your claim, you can file a claim with the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation and request a hearing before a workers’ compensation judge. At this hearing, you can request payment for your medical expenses and your lost wages.
Although a hearing before a workers’ compensation judge isn’t as formal as a trial, you will still need to be prepared. You’ll have to bring evidence to support your claim and, if you have them, witnesses to the accident. Your employer’s insurance company will send an attorney to represent them at your hearing. You’d be wise to have an attorney to represent you, as well.
How Calhoon & Kaminsky, P.C., Can Help
At Calhoon & Kaminsky, P.C., we have more than 20 years of experience helping injured workers get the benefits they deserve. When you go to a hearing before a workers’ comp judge, we’ll handle all the preparation. Our lawyers can obtain the evidence needed to prove your case. We’ll create a strategy aimed at securing the benefits you need and argue your case before the judge.
We represent only injured workers, never insurance companies. When you hire us, you’ll never pay anything up front. Our law firm only gets paid if we get compensation for you. We’ve recovered over $221 million for our clients, and we’re ready to work for you, too.
Our satisfied clients tell the story better than we can, such as the following:
“Great Attorneys! Matt helped me settle my worker’s comp case. I am extremely pleased with how he helped me through everything. He was always available to talk and answer any questions. I would highly recommend Matt Kaminsky.” – Stephanie, Mifflintown, PA
Contact Our Hershey Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Today
If you’re a healthcare worker who was injured on the job, don’t hesitate. Call Calhoon & Kaminsky, P.C., today, or contact us online. You’ll get a free, fully confidential consultation to discuss your options and next steps.
