When many people in Illinois think of a workplace injury, they may think of a traumatic event resulting in an injury such as a severed limb or broken bone. In these incidents, the injury is typically immediately obvious and there is likely little argument regarding the origin. However, some injuries, such as meniscus tears, are much more subtle and may not be immediately obvious.
Because there are no nerve endings in the meniscus, someone who has suffered a tear as he or she completed daily workplace duties may be unaware of the damage. As a result, workers suffering from this type of injury may go about their daily routines. As they do so, the injury can worsen, causing symptoms such as pain and swelling to occur.
This type of injury is not unusual for people whose job duties include heavy lifting. However, an employer or insurance company may be hesitant to believe that the injury came as a result of a workplace incident because of the occasional delay between the actual injury and appearance of symptoms. If you find yourself in a situation such as this, the attorneys at Hannigan Botha & Sievers, Ltd. can work with medical experts to attempt to demonstrate that there is a connection between your injury and your job responsibilities.
People who are injured in a workplace accident deserve workers’ compensation benefits to help ease the financial ramifications of such an accident. Unfortunately, those suffering from meniscus tears or other repetitive motion injuries may have difficulty establishing the link between their symptoms and their job. Many people in Illinois who have found themselves in such a situation have turned to the attorney at Hannigan Botha & Sievers, Ltd. for help seeking a resolution to their workers’ compensation issues.