What is a repetitive stress injury?

A repetitive stress injury, also sometimes called a repetitive strain injury or a repetitive motion injury, is an injury to the muscles, tendons, or nerves caused by repetitive motions or sustained awkward postures.

RSIs can affect any part of the body that’s subjected to repetitive activities or awkward positions, but commonly impacted areas include the wrists, hands, elbows, shoulders, neck, and back. Common examples include carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, tennis elbow, arthritis, thoracic outlet syndrome, and trigger finger.

Symptoms can vary depending on which area is affected, but often include:

• Pain or tenderness in the affected muscle or joint
• Swelling or inflammation
• Stiffness or limited range of motion
• Numbness or tingling sensations, particularly in the hands or fingers
• Weakness or loss of strength in the affected area

In most cases, RSIs, like other occupational diseases, tend to worsen over time without proper rest and treatment.

Does workers’ comp cover repetitive stress injuries?

Yes, in North Carolina, workers’ compensation can cover repetitive stress injuries (RSIs) if you can demonstrate they arose from your employment. This is great news, considering that most businesses with 3 or more employees are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance to provide benefits for their injured workers.

As a worker in the state, it’s important to understand that workers’ compensation is a no-fault system, meaning you don’t need to prove negligence on your employer’s part to get benefits.

However, the key lies in establishing a clear connection between your RSI and the repetitive tasks or working conditions of your job. If you cannot prove that your job duties directly caused the injury, as opposed to activities outside of work or other personal health factors, your employer is likely to deny the claim.

How do you prove a repetitive stress injury is work-related?

Depending on your occupation and job duties, establishing a direct link between your job and your injury might be more straightforward, as RSIs are more common in some jobs than others.

Let’s say you work in a warehouse, regularly lifting and reaching overhead to stock shelves. Over time, you begin experiencing shoulder pain, which is eventually diagnosed as a rotator cuff tear—a common repetitive strain injury (RSI). To prove this injury is work-related, it’s important to build a strong case backed by medical and occupational evidence.

You should start with a diagnosis from an employer-approved doctor who explicitly links your shoulder injury to the repetitive motions required by your job. Supporting documents like your job description, daily task lists, and any ergonomic assessments done at your workplace can strengthen your claim.

In some cases, expert testimony from medical professionals or workplace safety experts may also be used to show how your job duties contributed to the injury.

Because RSI claims—especially those involving the shoulder—can be tricky to prove, working with a knowledgeable injury lawyer can make all the difference. They’ll know how to gather the right evidence, challenge a denial if needed, and fight for the full workers’ comp benefits you’re entitled to.

Have questions about your situation? Contact Wilder Pantazis Law Group today to learn more.