Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation litigation often focuses on description of the injury. Logically, insurance carrier’s attempt to narrow and limit the injury description as much as possible. However, workers’ compensation cases are not always cut and dry either.
I recently won a case involving an injured worker who worked at an Amazon Distribution Center. My client sustained an injury to her ankle when a box hit her in that back of her ankle. The injury was accepted as an Achilles injury. However, her condition changed through medical treatment. She began developing numbness and tingling in both of her feet.
We were successfully able to prove that our client developed tarsal tunnel syndrome in her affected foot due to being immobilized in a boot on two occasions due to the work injury. Additionally, we were able to prove that she developed tarsal tunnel syndrome in her opposite foot due to her abnormal gait from being in the boot and limping due to the work injury. The Workers’ Compensation Judge added bilateral tarsal tunnel syndrome to the description of injury in granting the Claim Petition.
Many Pennsylvania work-related injuries revolve around just one body part or are limited to the original injury area. However, that is not always the case. Like above, medical treatment for a work-related injury can lead to symptoms elsewhere. Additionally, overuse can also be an issue. We see this with arm or shoulder injuries in which overusing the other arm to compensate begins to develop pain in that arm. These type of additional injuries can be compensable under the Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act.
If you have been injured at work, call Mooney Law for an absolutely free office or phone consultation. We have collected tens of millions of dollars on behalf of injured workers through Pennsylvania and Northern Maryland. We stand ready to fight and protect your benefits. We can certainly help settle your case for a fair and reasonable settlement, but if need be, we are willing and ready to fully litigate the case to Judge’s decision. Mooney Law is a full litigation law firm. Call today at 717-200-HELP or 717-632-4656. You can also request a consultation though email at info@mooney4law.com or by visiting our website.
