Last Updated: 11/30/2023
One of the most difficult injuries to prove is a back injury at work in Iowa. There are a variety of reasons for the difficulty including determining that the incident occurred at work and not while you were off the clock or determining that it was not a pre-existing condition.
Pinpointing the Exact Location of Back Pain is Difficult
Even in this modern era, with all the technology we have available to us, isolating the exact location of back pain remains one of the most difficult things to do in medical terms. This inability to pinpoint the exact point of the pain also makes it notoriously difficult to speculate about what exactly caused the injury that’s resulting in the pain.
It’s not about the pain or the degree of pain that workers' compensation claims for back pain are often denied. It’s the fact that it’s difficult to prove that the damage occurred at work if you can’t really define the injury. This would be true of any indefinite pain or suffer that occurs at work in Iowa but back injuries are the most common that have this particular problem.
The Potential Causes
The other major problem when it comes to proving back injuries occurred at work is that many of the more common back problems can be caused by a wide range of physical activities and even habitual motions. The bottom line is that most employers are reluctant to entertain the notion that the injury could be work-related and often want to blame it on pre-existing conditions, injuries sustained outside of work or an unrelated medical condition.
Ultimately, if there isn’t a direct, documented injury that occurred on the job that irrefutably caused severe damage to the back; it is often very difficult to prove the injury is the result of work. The hardest back injuries to prove are the gradual ones that take years to become debilitating and are often the result of unreported injuries where the employee decided to continue working in spite of the pain for weeks, months or even years until the pain becomes unbearable.
These are the reasons it’s so important to report each and every single injury at work in Iowa. That way there will always be a reference point to look back on and pinpoint the moment when certain injuries occur. You never know when something small today can become a much larger issue for your future health and well-being.
If you or someone you know has been injured at work, working with a computer, Walker, Billingsley & Bair is here to help answer your questions. Iowa Workers' Compensation Attorney Corey J. L. Walker practices primarily in work injury law. He offers a book about Iowa work injuries at no cost, risk or obligation. The book is called “Iowa Workers’ Compensation- An Insider’s Guide to Work Injuries” which includes 7 Deadly Mistakes to Avoid if You are Hurt at Work. To order your copy go to http://www.IowaWorkInjury.com or by Call Now 641-792-3595. Iowans hurt at work are beginning to realize that the insurance company is not there to help them and that they should learn about Iowa's workers compensation laws. Finally, there is a book about Iowa work injuries that you can review in the comfort of your own home. For immediate assistance call 641-792-3595 and ask for Corey.