Chicago shoulder & knee injury lawyer

Shoulder and Knee Injuries in Workers’ Compensation Claims

Injuries to the shoulder or knee are common across a wide variety of industries and occupations. Injuries like these are extremely painful and debilitating, preventing the sufferer from doing much work or even getting around at all. Medical treatment is often invasive and comes with a lengthy, painful and difficult recovery period of its own. Victims meanwhile can’t move around, work, drive or even stand in certain cases.

Chicago shoulder & knee injury lawyerMark Connolly has recovered significant workers’ comp benefits and personal injury settlements for workers in a variety of fields, including flight attendants who tripped and fell at the airport or construction workers who slipped on an oily surface. If you’ve suffered a work-related shoulder or knee injury in Chicago and are having trouble getting your claim approved or think you are being underpaid, call Connolly Injury Law for a free consultation with a dedicated and successful Chicago workers’ comp lawyer.

Workers’ Compensation Carriers Don’t Want to Cover Shoulder and Knee Injuries

Employers and their workers’ compensation insurance carriers seem to have an answer for every shoulder and knee injury and a reason to deny worker’s comp benefits. For less severe strains or sprains, the carrier is likely to deny that you need compensated time off from work to heal properly. If the injury is severe and therefore expensive to treat, such as a surgical repair or joint replacement, the insurer will want to blame the injury on sports or other non-work activity such as home repair, or they’ll say it’s caused by a degenerative condition due to something other than employment. Attorney Mark Connolly knows how to refute these allegations, prove your case, and obtain a favorable hearing decision or negotiate a fair settlement. Call Connolly Injury for help with the following work injuries:

Shoulder Injuries

A torn Rotator Cuff is a common shoulder injury that occurs in the workplace. This injury is a tear in the band of muscles and tendons that work to keep the upper arm bone seated in the shoulder joint and allow for the full range of motion the arm typically enjoys. Rotator cuff tears can happen from a single traumatic event like stretching overhead to catch a heavy falling object, but they can also arise from repetitive motions over time such as overheard reaching or lifting heavy objects.

Damage to the rotator cuff such as tendinitis can be treated with physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medicines and pain medications, and a period of rest allowing the damage to heal. More severe injuries might require surgery to repair a tear, re-attach a tendon or replace a damaged joint.

If you are experiencing pain in your shoulder that doesn’t go away with over-the-counter medication, you could have a serious condition that needs medical care, such as a rotator cuff injury, a dislocated shoulder, adhesive capsulitis (“frozen shoulder”), a glenoid labrum tear, shoulder impingement or another shoulder injury.

Anytime you have a traumatic accident at work such as a fall or other event that causes pain, always report the injury to your supervisor and follow up with a doctor.

Knee Injuries

A knee injury can involve various types of inflammation, such as bursitis, tendinitis, or osteoarthritis. It can also result from degeneration of the cartilage under the knee (chondromalacia), or traumatic injury such as a torn ligament, a fractured or dislocated kneecap, or a PCL tear. Whether treatment requires physical therapy and medication or surgery up to and including a total knee replacement, a worker suffering from a knee injury will likely need significant time off from work to heal or a light-duty assignment that doesn’t put any weight or stress on the knee. Common knee injuries include ACL or meniscus tears.

ACL– The ACL is a ligament connecting the thighbone to the shinbone. This ligament can be strained, sprained or torn at work due to a fall from heights at a construction site or a trip or slip with a hard landing on the airport tarmac or factory floor, a sudden stop or turn mid-stride, or when the body twists in one direction while the foot stays planted on the ground.

Meniscus– Underneath the kneecap on either side lies a curved piece of cartilage called the meniscus. This cartilage cushions three bones that meet at the knee – the knee bone itself (the patella), the shin and the thigh. Jobs that require constant heavy lifting, squatting or kneeling can cause the meniscus to degenerate over time. Even one instance of lifting, kneeling or twisting can result in a traumatic meniscus tear.

Help With Shoulder & Knee Injuries in Chicago Workers’ Compensation Claims

Workers’ compensation is meant to get you under a doctor’s care until you are well enough to return to work. You’ll get your medical bills paid and get help with wage replacement while you are out of work or on restricted (light) duty at lower pay. Chicago workers’ compensation attorney Mark Connolly can help ensure that your claim for benefits is successful and paid appropriately. Call Connolly Injury Law for a free consultation at 312-780-0816. There’s no fee if we don’t win compensation on your behalf.