If you are hurt on the job or develop an occupational illness, you may be entitled to receive benefits of the California workers’ compensation system. There are many different terms that may be used to reference your claim, and it may be important to familiarize yourself with these as the case moves forward. One of these phrases is known as a cumulative trauma claim.
These are typically filed for work-related injuries and accidents associated with physically traumatic activities, or mentally repetitive activities across multiple years. Cumulative trauma issues are most likely to involve mental and psychiatric conditions and soft tissue injuries.
According to recent research from the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California, these injuries typically take much longer to receive a first medical treatment primarily due to late reporting and a high share of cumulative trauma claims beginning with medical legal services or liens as the initial service.
If you complete the same activities every single day and have developed a painful medical condition, it is extremely important that this be documented in your medical record as related to your work. This is because it may be the only way for you to recover compensation through the California workers’ comp system. Schedule a time to meet with a qualified and experienced workers’ compensation attorney in San Francisco to discuss the specifics of your case as well as next steps if you believe that you have developed a cumulative trauma injury.