Illinois workers don’t tend to think about their knees until they hurt them. A work-related knee injury can be especially common in active jobs, like construction work, work that involves standing for long periods and other occupations. This article will discuss one particularly type of work-related knee injury: the meniscus tear.
A meniscus tear can cause long-lasting pain and debility. If left untreated it could even cause a worker to no longer be able to perform his or her job duties. However, even when appropriately treated, such an injury could require time spent outside of work while recovering.
Especially in the case of a meniscus tear, a worker might not realize that the injury has happened until later. Sometimes there could be a sharp pain, but a worker tries to keep on performing his or her activities — the pain can be endured and it will eventually go away. However, continuing to work, walk and go about activities at normal could make the situation worse. When a meniscus tear gets more serious, it will eventually show signs of swelling and intense pain.
At Hannigan Botha & Sievers, Ltd., we assist Illinois workers in seeking workers’ compensation benefits relating to all manner of knee injuries. Preferably, the knee injury is minor and with proper rest, treatment and care, the injured employee is back on his or her feet in no time at all. However, in more serious cases, workers might require extra workers’ compensation benefits to pay for lost wages, surgical costs and extended medical care and rehabilitative services while the worker takes the necessary time to rest and recuperate.