Office Workers’
Compensation Injury

Office Injury Compensation Attorney in Illinois

Office workers tend not to do taxing physical labor. So why might anyone who works at a white collar job ever need the services of Chicago workers’ compensation attorneys?

Despite the stereotype that office jobs are “safe,” the reality is that office work presents a veritable cornucopia of hazards – both hidden and visible – that can result in serious injuries, such as:

• Repetitive strain injuries – Human beings evolved as hunter-gatherers. Our ancestors most certainly did not do anything even approximating the kind of mostly sedentary, highly repetitive work that many of us do today. As a result of doing these highly unnatural activities, such as typing on a keyboard, sitting in a chair, talking on a phone, and so forth, workers can damage their soft connective tissues. Nodules called trigger points can form as a result, restricting blood flow and causing inflammation. On top of that, the primary effects of repetitive stress injuries can in turn create a cascade of other ailments. For instance, in response to inflammation, a worker may pop non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which can in turn upset the stomach, lead to neurological problems, and so forth.

• Traffic accidents– A worker who gets into an accident while driving in a company car or shuttling to a company function may make an Illinois workers’ compensation claim, even if he or she wasn’t technically at a meeting or engaged with a company associate at the time.

• Injuries resulting from a toxic work environment – Mold in the walls of an old building, asbestos or dust, chemicals, sickening odors, and even radioactivity all afflict American office workers, resulting both in immediate harm and in the exacerbation of other medical problems. For instance, an asthmatic might find his condition significantly worsened due to exposure to office dust and particulate matter.

• Acute physical injuries – Not all office-related workers comp claims involve chronic injuries – some involve acute damage. A secretary who twists his hip lifting a box, an office manager who pulls a tendon while trying to yank a snack out of a vending machine, or a CEO who slips on her newly mopped floor can all suffer serious injuries that may require thousands of dollars in medical care and rehabilitation.