Workplace Injuries: Tears

Tears can be serious injuries that occur in the workplace, and they can affect different parts of the body. You should know that tears are a type of soft tissue injury, which means that they affect a person’s ligaments, muscles, or tendons. When a tear results from an accident that happens on the job, or results from a repetitive task that you have been required to undertake for your workplace role, you may be eligible to file a workers’ compensation claim in Florida. It is important for you to learn more about tear injuries, what they involve, how they can happen on the job, and what you need to do in order to seek benefits. One of our experienced Sunrise workers’ compensation lawyers can assist you with your claim and can answer any questions you have.

Understanding Tear Injuries

Tears can occur anywhere in your body where you have ligaments, muscles, and tendons. As the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) explains, the common terminology used to describe tears includes sprains and strains. Indeed, the AAOS defines a sprain as “a stretch and/or tear of a ligament,” while a strain is an injury that may include a tear to a muscle or a tendon. The AAOS clarifies that, “similar to a sprain, a strain may be a simple stretch of your muscle or tendon, or it may involve a partial or complete tear of the muscle and tendon.”

Tear injuries can be partial or complete, and they are often severe, resulting in many missed workdays and necessary surgical procedures. When a tear affects a person’s ligament, the injury will be classified according to the grade. A Grade 1 sprain is mild, a Grade 2 sprain is moderate and may include a partial tear of a ligament, while a Grade 3 sprain is severe and is the classification used to describe a “complete tear of the ligament.” When a ligament, a muscle, or a tendon is completely torn, the injured person will frequently require surgery, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine, and may experience a significant disability.

How Do Tear Injuries Happen?

How do most ligament, muscle, and tendon tears happen on the job? These injuries can be described as “acute” injuries when they result from a traumatic accident, or they can be described as “overuse” injuries when they happen gradually over time. Most tears occur on the job as a result of an accident, and thus most are classified as acute injuries. The following are some the ways in which these injuries tend to happen in workplace:

• Fall from heights;
• Slip and fall;
• Trip and fall;
• Twisting of a body part; or
• Blow to the worker’s body caused by a struck-by injury.

When a tear injury happens at work, it is critical to report the accident to your employer quickly (you cannot wait for more than 30 days), and to seek medical attention from an approved medical provider.

Contact a Sunrise Workers’ Compensation Attorney

If you have questions or concerns about seeking workers’ compensation benefits following a tear injury, you should get in touch with one of the experienced Sunrise workers’ compensation attorneys at the Law Offices of David M. Benenfeld, P.A. We can evaluate your claim, ensure that you take all necessary steps to be eligible for compensation, and advocate for your right to medical coverage and wage replacement benefits.

Sources:

orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases–conditions/sprains-strains-and-other-soft-tissue-injuries/

hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/softtissue-injuries