Workers’ Compensation for Repetitive Stress Injuries

A repetitive stress injury is one where you repeatedly stress the same group of muscles, tendons, and nerves in the course of your job. Some of the most common causes of a RSI include:

• Bending and lifting objects, common in the construction industry and in warehouses
• Eye strain, specifically from working on a computer all day or in poorly lit areas
• Scanning objects, a task frequently performed by retail and grocery store workers
• Sitting in furniture that is neither ergonomically designed nor the appropriate size for your body, which can cause hip and knee problems
• Typing and computer work, especially for office workers
• Using heavy-duty construction equipment, tools, and machinery, which can lead to elbow, wrist and shoulder injuries
• Working on an assembly line or performing the same type of factory work every day
• Sitting in furniture that is neither ergonomically designed nor the appropriate size for your body, which can cause hip and knee problems

Any time your job requires that you repeat a certain movement over and over again, you put stress or strain on that particular group of joints and tendons. These activities can lead to a new injury or exacerbate a pre-existing condition. Your employer is in charge of ensuring that you have the safety equipment and tools you need to keep you safe, and failing to provide them (or failing to provide adequate rest times for you) can lead to an RSI. Under Pennsylvania law, if you can show that your injury is the direct result of the work that you do, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits.