Did You Get an Injury at Work?

Everyday life comes with bumps and bruises. Even people with office jobs or people who don’t work outside the home will have an occasional cut, bruise, or strain from ordinary activity. For people in the trades, these minor occupational injuries are often seen as just “part of the job” and not taken seriously. However, even seemingly minor workplace injuries can end up having severe, long-term health effects. Some injuries may even have delayed effects, so the severity of the trauma isn’t fully appreciated until much later.

Some of the most serious injuries suffered in workplace accidents are those involving trauma to the soft tissue of the back, neck, or shoulder. These injuries can be deceiving in their severity — although they may initially seem very minor, they can soon become very painful and keep you away from work for a long time.

To protect your health and your rights, it is important to take every workplace injury seriously and report the injury when it happens. Minor workplace injuries can have major health impacts, and you may need to consult with a minor work injury attorney.

The Law Offices of Aaron Allison is one of only four firms in central Texas that handles workers’ compensation cases. Our specialized law firm has proudly helped injured Austin workers recover since 1978. If you were hurt on the job, give us a call at 512-474-8346 to explore your options for getting the compensation you need. We offer a free consultation to discuss your injuries.

Types of Minor Workplace Injuries

For people who are clumsy or accident-prone, many minor injuries may not even register as workplace incidents that should be reported. However, it is important to pay attention to your health and safety at work. Be aware of these types of minor workplace injuries:

Shallow Cuts

Shallow cuts may be painful and uncomfortable but may not be serious injuries. However, even shallow cuts to certain body parts, like the head, lips, nose, or neck, may lead to excessive bleeding and be difficult to treat. Untreated, shallow cuts may also develop infections that can lead to complications like cellulitis, sepsis, tetanus, or other serious medical conditions. An average of 5% of minor hand lacerations become infected, so be attentive to all cuts, apply first aid promptly, and consider reporting the injury to your supervisor.

Minor Burns

Minor burns and scalds can be exceptionally common at work, especially for those in food service. Like cuts, minor burns can easily become infected and lead to more serious complications. Minor burns and scalds can also easily cause scarring, with long-term physical and psychological impacts. All workplace burns and scalds should be taken seriously and treated immediately.

Scrapes

Slips and falls are the most common form of workplace accidents, and scrapes are one of the most common results of a slip or fall. Especially in summer, when clothing is lighter and more skin is exposed, we are at a greater risk of minor scrapes and skin abrasions. Minor scrapes are often less prone to bleeding than cuts but still carry a risk of complications, including infection and scarring. Scrapes are also associated with soft tissue injuries, so the entire affected area should be treated with care.

Bruises

Some healthy people simply bruise more easily than others, so bruising may not always indicate a workplace or occupational injury. However, bruising is often a sign (and sometimes the only external symptom) of a more serious soft tissue injury. There is often no good first aid treatment for bruising injuries, but be attentive to tenderness or inflammation in the bruised area and report the injury.

Sprains and Strains

For many people, muscle soreness and stiffness after work just come with the job. However, if muscle pain is related to a specific motion, starts suddenly, or is associated with bruising or swelling, you may be experiencing a “pulled” muscle as a result of a minor injury. Minor sprains and strains should be reported as workplace injuries and treated with over-the-counter pain medication, hot or cold packs, and rest. If pain persists after two or three days, see a physician.

Repetitive Motion Injuries

For people who are accustomed to stiffness or soreness associated with work, it may be difficult to know when they are actually experiencing a repetitive motion injury. Jobs that include repetitive body motion, strong vibration, or compression are especially at risk for these types of injuries.

If long-term pain, stiffness, or soreness are also associated with swelling, weakness, numbness, tingling, or muscle cramps, it is a sign that your minor workplace injury has progressed to something more serious. See a physician to address your symptoms, report your injury, and consider occupational therapy to find accommodation for your condition.

Soft Tissue Injuries

Soft tissue injuries are a broad term for a range of injuries to the muscles, tendons, or ligaments. These injuries may result from a specific accident or incident or may be caused by repetitive motion and wear. Soft tissue injuries may include bruises and sprains but also include inflammatory problems like tendonitis or bursitis. Soft tissue injuries like whiplash can be very serious and have long-term health effects. These injuries should be reported when they occur at work, even if they seem minor at the time.

Frequent Minor Injuries

As people become more attentive to minor workplace injuries, they may notice frequent or repetitive injuries that may be a sign of an unsafe or non-ergonomic workplace. This increased awareness can help benefit yourself and others, improving occupational health and safety. For example, if you frequently scrape your leg on a file cabinet, it should be moved before someone else gets a more severe cut. If workers repeatedly trip over a threshold or get scalded with steam, the employer should pay attention to these injury reports and evaluate the hazards in the workplace.

Minor workplace injuries are injuries. For your safety and the safety of others, they should be taken seriously and reported. Reporting a minor occupational injury also helps protect your rights if you need to file a workers’ compensation claim for later complications or long-term health effects.

Causes of Soft Tissue Injuries

Soft tissue injuries are typically caused by some kind of external trauma like a fall or collision. In the past, some of our clients in soft tissue injury cases include people injured at work in the following types of situations:

• Truck or car accidents
• Warehouse or loading dock accidents
• Construction accidents
• Accidents in public employment, including police and firefighters
• Health care accidents
• Accidents resulting from dangerous property conditions

The soft tissue injuries typically experienced after an accident are sprains, strains, contusions, tendonitis, bursitis, and stress injuries. These injuries, if left untreated, can develop into serious conditions that may require therapy and surgery. They may even result in a life-altering condition or disability, so be attentive to your symptoms and seek appropriate medical care after an injury.

Types of Soft Tissue Injuries

To learn about your right to payment for soft tissue injuries suffered on the job, speak with our Austin worker’s compensation lawyer. Our firm represents claims for benefits in the workers comp Texas system and damages claims in negligence lawsuits. Whenever possible, we will use both approaches to get what you need to support your family through a long recovery period.

If your employer is covered under the Texas worker’s compensation system, we can protect you from the problems that can result from a misdiagnosed condition, a denied claim, or premature termination of your benefits.

In the event that your company does not subscribe to workers’ compensation, we can proceed directly toward a personal injury lawsuit for negligent damages against your employer or any other defendant who can be held accountable for your injuries. No matter the situation, we will explore every possible source of compensation for you.

Workplace Injuries with Long-Term Effects

Most minor workplace injuries will heal by themselves, with minimal medical care and a bit of rest. However, even minor injuries can develop complications that can be life-changing and require extensive medical treatment. Infections, scarring, nerve damage, hearing loss, chronic pain, and inflammation can all be caused by incidents and accidents that seemed minor at the time. Superficial soft tissue injuries may be a sign of more serious internal injuries, especially if they are the result of a sudden impact or accident.

Because minor injuries may develop serious complications and because there is a time limit for reporting occupational injuries, all workplace injuries and incidents should be reported. If you are suffering from an occupational injury and want to know more about your rights, consult with a minor work injury attorney for more information.

Why You Should Report Your Workplace Injury, Even if it’s Minor

Reporting all workplace injuries, even if they seem minor, is an important responsibility. There are several reasons why all injuries should be reported as soon as possible:

• Communicate effectively. If a task exposes a worker to repetitive strain or other injury, it is possible that the employer is not aware of the risk. Reporting minor injuries makes your supervisor and the company aware of any hazards associated with the task or the job, even if they are minor. It also helps your supervisor understand why you might be working with a bit more caution or taking your time over a task.
• Protect your rights. Many soft tissue injuries may seem minor at the time but develop into severe symptoms later. Repetitive strain injuries, even some cuts and bruises, may turn into life-changing injuries, even when they didn’t seem important when they happened. If an illness or disability manifests later, an employer may claim that it was not work-related and attempt to deny you compensation. Reporting all injuries immediately, even minor ones, protects your right to file a workers’ compensation or personal injury claim at a later date and helps prove your claim.
• Improve workplace safety for everyone. A task, machine, or workplace that caused a minor injury to you today may cause a severe injury to a coworker or team member later. Reporting a minor injury when it happens allows an employer or supervisor to take corrective action to protect other people. Also, high numbers of injury reports, even minor ones, may indicate an unsafe workplace and draw greater attention to health and safety measures in the company overall. Looking out for your own safety helps to protect the safety of others, so always report any workplace injury.

For all these reasons, file a written report for every injury you receive at work. It’s the right thing to do.

What’s the Deadline for Reporting a Minor Work Injury?

All workplace injuries should be reported in writing within 30 days. In fact, report the injury as soon as possible so that your memory of events is more accurate and so that witnesses may be better identified.

Texas law requires workers to report their injuries within 30 days in order to be eligible for workers’ compensation. Even for “non-subscribing” employers who do not carry workers’ compensation insurance, the 30-day reporting limit is important to support your claim or personal injury lawsuit.

Many people sustain soft tissue injuries at work and do not report them, thinking that they are minor and will heal by themselves in a few days. As the days go by, and the pain does not subside or becomes even more severe, they may be unknowingly harming their case for receiving the help they need with medical bills, lost wages, and other injury-related expenses. If you have missed the 30-day reporting period for your workplace injury, it is important to discuss your case with an expert workplace attorney as soon as possible.

Honest and Competent Legal Counsel Since 1978

We provide professional and aggressive representation you can trust. For a free consultation about your case, contact our Austin workers compensation attorney online or give us a call at 512-474-8346. In many cases, we work on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay no attorney fees unless we obtain compensation for you.