Do you have back pain because of something that happened on the job? Or is the daily pain you feel simply the natural result of aging, something everyone has to deal with as they grow older?
You and your employer may not see eye-to-eye. You may look at your daily tasks and contend that bending, reaching, lifting and repeated motions are causing the pain. Your employer may say that you’re just not 21 years old anymore and you need to get used to being in the older half of the workforce.
Who is right can be tough to prove, and some experts note that the best place to begin is by talking to a doctor. Find out what your back pain is being caused by, where it’s located, and what you can do to prevent it. A professional opinion goes a long way. A worker claiming that the job is causing the pain simply doesn’t carry as much weight as a medical professional who determines the same thing.
There are two important things to note. First, if there was an obvious event where you were hurt — you picked something up and felt your back go out — then it’s wise to document it and seek medical care quickly. Second, if you already had the back pain before you started working, you may not be able to claim compensation since it could be caused by something else, such as aging, even if it hinders your ability to work.
Back pain can ruin far more than a night’s sleep; it could leave you with medical bills, medications and constant pain. Be sure you know your rights if you were hurt on the job.
Source: FindLaw, “Can You Get Workers’ Comp for Back Pain?,” Le Trinh, accessed July 11, 2017
