Tip #1 If you develop painful bursitis as a result of your job, you may be entitled to a payment for medical treatment and partial wage compensation if you need time off work to recover properly. These payments are dependent on filing a workers’ compensation claim with your employer’s workers’ comp. insurance provider. In some cases, a claim can become complicated, and it can then help to have a workers’ comp. attorney to assist with the claim. Tip #2 Bursitis is typically caused by repetitive movements over a long time period. It doesn’t develop suddenly, e.g. as a result of a single accident. It is a painful injury which must be treated if you are to continue working effectively. The first priority is to have the condition diagnosed by a doctor who will suggest a course of treatment. As the injury happened at work, your employer may insist on you using a preferred physician and/or medical provider, or you may be able to use your own choice of doctor. It will be important for any later claim to ensure your doctor’s diagnosis confirms that the injury is work related and not due to any other cause, such as a sports related injury. Tip #3 It is unlikely that you will need emergency treatment, but you should keep your supervisor informed when you go for a medical examination. When bursitis is diagnosed officially and your doctor recommends treatment and rest, you should fill in a report at work. In some states, this automatically initiates a workers’ compensation claim, but more likely you will need to do this later on after the cost of treatment and lost time at work has been calculated. Note that each state has slightly differing workers’ compensation rules. These will determine when you should report the bursitis injury as a work related complaint, how long you have to make a claim, who you should lodge the claim with, and how much you can claim. Tip #4 Although each state has different workers’ comp. rules, as a rule of thumb, workers’ comp. claims for bursitis must normally be filed within 2 or 3 years of the discovery of the injury. This date may be determined as the date you got confirmation from your doctor that the pain experienced was actually bursitis. Generally, all related medical costs should be covered by workers’ compensation insurance, as well as around two thirds of the average wage before taking time off work. Non-economic damages, typically claimed in a personal injury claim, cannot be claimed under workers’ compensation. Tip #5 You are more likely to get properly compensated if you obtain the necessary evidence that shows that your bursitis was caused at work and how much it has cost you in medical treatment. Any future treatment costs should be estimated as accurately as possible. You should avoid unreasonable or exaggerated claims, as once they have been detected it is more likely that your claim will be denied. Tip #6 As bursitis is not primarily caused by any one incident and develops over time, it can be an excuse by insurance providers to allege that it was not work related. This is something that you should discuss with a workers’ compensation attorney, preferably before submitting a claim. If your claim for bursitis is denied, you have the option of an appeal. If this does happen, you will find that your workers’ compensation attorney can provide invaluable advice and practical legal help. Additional Resources Do I Need an Attorney If I Suffered from Bursitis At Work? How Much is a Bursitis Claim Worth?
