Office and Professional Injuries

Massachusetts Injured Workers’ Advocates

The Massachusetts disability lawyers at Kantrovitz & Associates take pride in providing small-town courtesy and service at a downtown firm. Always friendly and well prepared, our attorneys have over 20 years of experience serving workers and professionals injured at work, including those harmed in an office setting. We are dedicated to providing each client with individualized attention and comprehensive representation at every stage of the process, making sure that all employees have a fair shot at recovering full compensation for their harm.

Office Work and Injury

Technological advances expose modern office workers to greater risks of injury. Accruing over time, repetitive trauma takes its toll on the human skeleton, causing the same long-term damage as in other jobs. Every employee is now responsible for faster production, copious administrative work, and working in unnatural positions, creating a surge in the study of ergonomics. Injuries in the office affect all staff levels, from managers and executives to professionals. Further, these injuries tend to result in more expensive medical costs and lost work time than those sustained in other job accidents. They now account for over 40 percent of all workers’ compensation claims.

Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)

Injuries to the soft tissue make up the single largest class of disability claims. The most common cause of MSDs is general office work, whether computer-related or not. Symptoms and examples of soft tissue damage may include:

• Tendonitis
• Epicondylitis
• Carpal tunnel
• Injury to nerve
• Shoulder bursitis
• Pain or discomfort
• Numbness, swelling
• Fatigue, joint stiffness
• Neck and low back pain

MSDs are prevalent in all types of office environments and generally worsen over time. The mere lack of movement can reduce circulation and aggravate a pre-existing condition. Other causes of office-related injuries may involve:

• Repeated strain
• Constant overuse
• Repetitive motion
• Prolonged exertion
• Cumulative trauma
• Bending or reaching
• Flipping through files
• Stapling, hole-punching
• Mechanical contact stress
• Lifting heavy boxes or objects
• Typing, monitor, mouse use

Accidents and Exposure

Traveling professionals, sales representatives, and other personnel are increasingly required to travel on the job. Long periods of time on the road place them at greater risk of motor vehicle accidents and different types of nerve damage, including sciatica. In other work environments, prolonged exposure to toxins at work can likewise lead to temporary disability or even permanent illness. Whether the injury manifests suddenly or over time, employees may be entitled to compensation.

Workers’ Compensation Benefits

Massachusetts provides workers’ compensation benefits to professionals and office employees of all skill levels when they are injured at work. Awarded benefits may cover:

• Medical costs
• Surgery, therapy
• Prescription drugs
• Exacerbated injuries
• Lost income or wages
• Lump-sum settlements
• Partial or total disability
• Vocational rehabilitation
• Temporary total incapacity
• Permanent loss, impairment

The employer and insurers are responsible for paying injured workers a calculated portion of their former wage, regardless of fault. This compensation is critical to employees who are out of work due to injury.

Seek Compensation Today

If you have suffered an office-related injury, call the Massachusetts workers’ compensation attorneys at Kantrovitz & Associates today. We are devoted to helping you fight for full benefits for your loss. For over 20 years, we have successfully handled claims of injured employees and professionals throughout Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire. Our Boston office is proud to serve residents of Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Plymouth, Middlesex, and Merrimack Counties. Call 800-367-0871 for a free consultation or contact us online.