John Price Law Blog

Help for Back Injuries in the Workplace

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), more than one million employees suffer back injuries each year, accounting for nearly 20 percent of all workplace injury claims. A closer look at the data reveals workers with manual materials handling tasks are at greater risk, and the majority of these injuries affect the lower back (80 percent). If you’ve ever experienced a back injury, you learn just how quickly everyday tasks and activities must be put on hold. Living with chronic pain becomes a reality for far too many people, which undoubtedly spills into relationships and mental health. There is help available as you navigate life with a back injury. In today’s post, we’re covering back injuries in the workplace, how they may affect you, and the steps needed for medical care and financial compensation.

Back Injuries in the Workplace

According to data from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), low back pain is a reality for more than 26 percent of working adults. Of those suffering, the pain was found to be work-related at least 20 percent of the time. What’s more, NIOSH states “this is likely an underrepresentation of work-relatedness as the majority of workers did not discuss with their healthcare provider whether their pain might be work-related at all.”

Types of Back Injuries

The most common back injuries in the workplace according to Business & Legal Resources (BLR) are strains, sprains and herniated disks. Cleveland Clinic defines back strain as “an injury to either a muscle or tendon” and a back sprain as “the stretching or tearing of a ligament.” As for herniated disks , Cleveland Clinic states: “A herniated disk — also called a slipped disk or ruptured disk — occurs when pressure from the vertebrae above and below force some or all of the nucleus pulposus through a weakened or torn part of the annulus. The herniated nucleus pulposus can press on the nerves near the disk, resulting in pain.”


Additional types of workplace back injuries include:

**Who Is at Risk?
**Workplace back injuries are common amongst construction workers, industrial workers, nurses and nursing aides and manual laborers , though they affect other South Carolina employees as well.


**Serious Consequences
**Research from (NIOSH) sought to explore a potential link between certain disabilities resulting from work-related injuries and death rates. Their findings: “Those with a lost-time disabling low-back workers’ compensation claim had a higher rate of mortality when compared to those with claims accepted for the same diagnoses who did not miss time from work.”

We’re Here to Help

Contact our personal injury firm if you or a loved one has suffered from a back injury in the workplace in South Carolina. We are here to help you obtain the medical and financial benefits you deserve. We offer a free consultation and 24-hour answering service. We have five convenient locations, with three South Carolina locations being fully staffed with full-time attorneys and experienced support staff, or we can meet you at your home or hospital, with evening and weekend appointments available. Call John Price Law Firm, LLC at (843) 552-6011.