A shoulder injury at work can significantly impact your life and can require extensive medical treatment. It can also affect your ability to continue working in the same capacity as before your workplace shoulder injury.
After an on-the-job shoulder injury in Kentucky, it is vital that you seek proper medical attention and legal advice to make a successful recovery and protect your right to seek compensation for your injury.
At Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer, we have recovered over $400 million for our Kentucky clients, including workers who suffered shoulder injuries on the job. We are ready to put our experience, resources, and Kentucky Courage to work for you.
Contact our law firm today for a free consultation with an experienced and knowledgeable work injury lawyer about your case. We are ready to analyze your situation and outline the next steps to take to protect your rights.
What Types of Shoulder Injuries Can Occur at Work?
Shoulder injuries are relatively common, particularly for workers engaged in manual labor, such as in the agriculture, construction, shipping, and manufacturing industries. However, work-related shoulder injuries can affect people in any line of work – even those that seem safe.
Some of the most common shoulder injuries at work include:
- Rotator cuff tears that injure the tendons and muscles around the shoulder joint
- Labrum tears that affect the cartilage surrounding the shoulder joint socket
- Shoulder dislocations that happen when the upper arm bone pops out of the shoulder socket
- Bursitis, which is an inflammation of the sacs that cushion the shoulder’s ball and socket joint
- Tendonitis, which is an inflammation of the tendons around the shoulder
- Frozen shoulder caused by a thickening of connective tissue, resulting in stiffness and pain
- Impingement caused by compressing the soft tissues in the shoulder
- Bone fractures, such as those of the shoulder blade
How and When Should I Report My Workplace Shoulder Injury?
Kentucky requires injured workers to report their injuries to their supervisor, employer, or other designated person as soon as possible. The sooner you report your injury, the better. Doing so will make it harder for the workers’ comp insurance company to claim you didn’t take your injury seriously or that your injury occurred elsewhere.
When reporting the injury, you should do so both verbally and in writing, preferably by email. By reporting the injury in person, you can be sure your employer is aware of the incident and did not miss your email. And by reporting the injury by email, you retain a copy of the notice to refer back to in case your employer tries to say you never told them about the injury.
The Next Steps to Take After Your Shoulder Injury
After reporting your shoulder injury to your employer, you should take several other steps to strengthen your case for compensation. Some examples of the necessary steps include:
- Consult a work injury lawyer at Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer – Speak to our work injury lawyers about your case to learn more about the legal steps to take to protect your right to seek compensation. The consultation is free, confidential, and without further obligations.
- Gather evidence – Take photographs of any work conditions that contributed to your injuries, collect contact information from witnesses, including co-workers, and note the symptoms you experience.
- Seek medical attention – In addition to seeking immediate medical attention, follow up on all medical appointments so you have a robust medical record detailing your injury and treatments for it.
Can I Get Workers’ Compensation for a Shoulder Injury at Work?
You could be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits for a shoulder injury that occurred at work. However, the ease with which you can recover workers’ comp benefits depends on several factors, including how your shoulder injury happened.
For example, it is often easiest to recover benefits for injuries caused by a single, traumatic event, such as if you tore your rotator cuff after having your arm yanked by machinery. It can be more challenging to recover benefits if your injury is a repetitive stress injury that developed over time. In those cases, insurance companies often try to say your injury was caused by something outside of work, so strong evidence and assertive legal support are necessary.
How Much Workers’ Comp Can I Get for a Shoulder Injury?
By pursuing a workers’ compensation claim for an on-the-job shoulder injury, you may be eligible to receive medical care, partial wage replacement, and vocational rehabilitation benefits. The amount of compensation you could recover through these benefits depends on the specific circumstances of your case:
- Medical expense benefits – These benefits cover reasonable and necessary medical costs associated with treating your injury and should be paid directly to the provider.
- Disability benefits – These benefits are also known as wage loss benefits and cover up to two-thirds of your lost wages, capped at a maximum amount set by the Department of Workers’ Claims. Depending on the severity of your injuries, you may be eligible for temporary partial disability, temporary total disability, permanent partial disability, or permanent total disability benefits.
- Vocational rehabilitation benefits – If you cannot return to your pre-injury job, you may be eligible for vocational rehabilitation, which provides training for other roles that meet your work restrictions.
How Our Workplace Accident Attorneys Can Help with Your Shoulder Injury Claim
Our workplace accident attorneys are ready to assist with every step of your shoulder injury claim. We can gather medical and accident scene evidence to demonstrate the severity of your injury and its connection to your work. We can communicate with the insurance company on your behalf and represent you in settlement negotiations. And, if necessary, we can appeal claim denials or undervalued benefits and represent you at hearings and in legal proceedings.
With our team handling your case, you can rest assured that it is in good hands. All you need to do is follow up with your treatment and focus on your recovery from your work-related injuries.
If You Need Support with Your Injured Shoulder Case, Contact Us for a Free Consultation
When you hire Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer to handle your work injury case, you will speak with a lawyer rather than having your case passed off to paralegals. The attorneys you see in our TV commercials are the same attorneys who will work with you on your case. We are real lawyers who advertise, not advertisers who happen to have law degrees.
Contact our firm at (877) 809-5352 or online now for a free consultation with an experienced workers’ compensation attorney who can tackle your case from all angles, including personal injury, workers’ compensation, and Social Security disability claims. We’re available to take your call 24/7.
