Herniated discs are common work-related injuries. One study found that anywhere from five to 20 out of every 1,000 adults will suffer a herniated disc each year, making it difficult and painful to accomplish even the most basic daily tasks. On top of the physical pain from a herniated disc, the cost of treating these injuries can be high, especially if surgery is required. Nearly all workers in Pennsylvania have access to workers’ compensation benefits, but there are time limits for your claim, so act swiftly.
If you’ve suffered a herniated disc injury at work, report your injury and contact the Pennsylvania workers’ compensation lawyers at Calhoon & Kaminsky P.C. right away. Our Pennsylvania law firm exclusively handles workers’ compensation cases for injured Pennsylvanians, putting experience and a reputation for excellence on your side. Over the past two decades, we’ve helped our clients secure more than $221 million in total compensation.
Let us get you on the path to recovery, you deserve workers’ compensation benefits for your herniated disc injury. Call, visit our contact page, or chat with us live for a free consultation now.
What is a Herniated Disc?
The bones in your back, or vertebrae, are supported by a series of cushioned discs to help protect the spinal cord from damage. But if too much strain is placed on the discs, they can be damaged, leading to intense and sometimes disabling pain.
Disc herniation occurs when the lining of the disc ruptures or tears, leading the material inside to protrude from its casing. The fluid from the disc can leak out as well, which makes the disc less able to support the vertebrae in the spine.
There are three main types of herniated disc injuries that you could receive workers’ compensation for:
- Disc extrusion: This occurs when the outer wall of the disc tears, causing the material of the inner disc to project outside of the disc wall into the spinal canal.
- Protruded disc: This is when a piece of the disc’s nucleus breaks through a tear in the disc’s outer wall, but not quite as far as when a disc extrusion occurs.
- Disc sequestration: Also known as a free fragment, a disc sequestration injury occurs when a piece of the disc’s nucleus breaks through the outer wall to become lodged in the spinal canal. Once it’s in the spinal canal, the fragment can move up and down, affecting different levels of the spine.
What is the Average Workers’ Compensation Settlement for a Herniated Disc?
Every herniated disc injury is different, making it difficult to say what the average workers’ comp settlement amount will be for you.
The value of your case will depend on many different factors, including:
- Extent of your herniated disc injury: The more severe your injury, the more you’re likely due in workers’ compensation benefits. If your injury leaves you with a temporary or permanent disability, you’re more likely to receive a higher settlement amount.
- Medical costs: Workers’ compensation benefits are meant to cover the total cost of any treatment you need for your injury, at least until you reach maximum medical improvement (MMI). The more extensive the treatment you need, the greater the value of your worker’s compensation settlement should be.
- How much time you miss from work: If your herniated disc injury causes you to miss a substantial period of work, you are entitled to wage replacement benefits, which will continue until you can return to work again.
Be wary of any formulas or calculators you find online for herniated disk workers’ compensation amounts, or any work injuries for that matter. It is best to just contact a herniated disk workers’ comp attorney as soon as possible to get the best understanding of what your case is worth.
Where Are Herniated Disc Injuries Commonly Located?
Herniated disc injuries can occur anywhere in the spine. However, the consequences of the damage could be different depending on the disc’s location in the spine:
- Lumbar spine: This area includes the vertebrae in your lower back. Damage to the discs in your lumbar spine causes the nerves in your lower spinal cord to become pinched or compressed, leading to pain, weakness, and numbness in your legs and feet. Workers who perform physically demanding jobs, such as construction and moving, are particularly prone to lumbar spine injuries.
- Cervical spine: Your cervical spine is the part of your spinal cord at the top of your back and neck that extends to the base of your skull. If the discs that cushion these especially sensitive vertebrae are damaged, you may experience pain, weakness, numbness, and difficulty with movement in your shoulders, arms, wrists, and hands. Herniated discs in the cervical spine can come from work in jobs involving repetitive movements.
- Thoracic spine: The thoracic spine is the part of your spinal column that runs through your mid-back. These injuries are less common than damage to the lumbar spine or cervical spine, but they can be just as painful and harmful.
What Types of Employees are Most Likely to Suffer a Herniated Disc on the Job?
Herniated disc injuries can strike employees in any industry, but workers who do a lot of physical labor are especially prone to these injuries. Herniated discs are especially common among workers who do a lot of heavy lifting, carry or move large objects, have to move or bend at awkward angles for their work, or do a lot of driving. Our herniated disc workers’ compensation lawyers will treat your case with utmost care, regardless of your profession.
Some workers who are particularly susceptible to herniated disc injuries include:
- Construction workers
- Stockers at big box stores
- Electricians
- Nurses and home care attendants
- Mechanics
- Roofers
- Flight attendants
- Welders
- Delivery drivers
Regardless of what industry you work in, other factors may make you more vulnerable to a herniated disc injury, such as:
- Being over age 30
- Being overweight
- Being out of shape and starting a job that requires a lot of physical labor
Contact a Herniated Disc Workers’ Compensation Attorney in Pennsylvania Today
Even though workers’ compensation benefits are supposed to be provided regardless of fault to qualifying employees, the system doesn’t always work in everyone’s favor. If you’ve been denied benefits, or are unsure how to begin a herniated disc workers’ compensation claim, a Pennsylvania workers’ compensation attorney from Calhoon & Kaminsky P.C. can stand up for you. We will fight to maximize the workers’ compensation benefits for your herniated disc injury.
Get a free consultation with one of our workers’ comp attorneys by calling our Harrisburg office or contacting us online. Calhoon & Kaminsky P.C. serves clients in Harrisburg, Chambersburg, Cumberland, York, Williamsport, Pottsville, Schuylkill, Gettysburg, Lancaster, Lewistown, Huntingdon, State College, Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Centre, Juniata, Blair, Adams, Perry, Lycoming, Mifflin, and the surrounding communities.
