Back injuries dominate Florida Workers Compensation
If you ask any Florida Workers' Compensation attorney, they will tell you that back, also known as lumbar injuries, are the most common. That has certainly been the case in my practice. Many Florida workers, from a secretary to a construction laborer, are prone to back injuries. In fact, back injuries and pain are the most common reason for absences from work, second only to the common cold.
According to NIOSH (the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health), it is not recommended that any worker lift more than 50 pounds, without assistance. The law offices of Randy Zeldin recommends that Florida workers ask the employer for help and assistance, if ever asked to lift greater than 50 pounds. Although this might antagonize some employers, it is your back!
NIOSH also recommends the following to prevent on the job back injuries:
1. Lifting should be done by bending the knees. Keeping one's elbows as close as feasible to the side of your body helps keep the object near the center of gravity and forces use of one's knees.
2. Strengthening of the muscles that support the spine is very important. Florida workers are encouraged to do back, abdominal and buttocks exercises.
The great majority of lumbar injuries will heal after a few months. If symptoms worsen or include leg pain, weakness or numbness, this could be a serious injury requiring a specialist. In my practice, I have seen too many family and general practitioners handle back injuries, long after it would have been appropriate to have a neurologist or orthopedist on the case. The law offices of Randy Zeldin has had to litigate many cases to bring a lumbar or back specialist into the case.
