Deciding whether to undergo surgery for a back injury you sustained at work can depend on various factors, including the severity of the injury, the specific condition involved and your overall health. Surgery is usually considered only after more conservative treatments, such as medication and physical therapy, fail. However, sometimes, surgery makes much more sense. For example, if your injury caused you to be constantly in pain and affects your daily living, the pain could indicate something is wrong. In these situations, surgery may be the best option for your recovery. Severe nerve compre ..read more

Every fall, students across Wisconsin return to school. So do the teachers. Though many teachers work throughout the year, the start of the school year can be an exciting time for educators: new students, perhaps a new curriculum and so on. But it can also mean an increased risk of getting injured on the job. To non-teachers, working in a school might not seem very dangerous compared to, say, construction or manufacturing. But you can get hurt doing any kind of job, including teaching. And if it happens to you as a teacher, you could be temporarily disabled and unable to work for a long time ..read more

Workplace injuries are difficult for most families when their primary financial providers are incapacitated and unable to continue working while they recover. However, in some of the most tragic situations, the injuries sustained at work may be deadly, and the worker's family has no recourse for future earnings to support themselves. In these types of situations, workers' families can obtain death benefits through the Wisconsin workers' compensation system. Under this system, there are four types of benefits that are available to the families of workers who died due to a work accident or occup ..read more

Anybody who has ever injured their back or neck can tell you how agonizing it can be -- and how hard such injuries can be to recover from. A painful, stiff or numb neck or back can make working impossible. Sitting at a desk all day can be impossible, not to mention physically grueling work like construction or manufacturing. The ways you can hurt your back The spine is a vitally important part of the body, but it can be susceptible to injury, especially as we get older and years of labor pile up.  Under Wisconsin law, a worker can injure their back through a one-time traumatic injury  ..read more

The physical health of a professional athlete is everything to them. When a serious work injury can mean the end of their career, it is vital for professional athletes to get a premier law firm at their side to help them through the challenges of their workers’ compensation claim. If you have suffered an injury as a professional athlete, turn to a Wisconsin law firm that has helped many others in your situation--whether in football, baseball, hockey, or any other professional sport. Even if an athlete was under contract and received a season-long salary, there are additional monetary bene ..read more

After a workplace injury, the steps you take can define the quality of the outcome of your workers’ compensation claim. One of these important steps likely is your "independent" medical evaluation (IME), which the insurance company can use to deny cases and halt the kind of compensation you are owed. In any claim for worker's compensation benefits, a work comp carrier may require that an injured worker attend an "independent" (or adverse) medical evaluation.  Importantly, the IME doctor is not your doctor.  This is a doctor chosen by the insurance company.  By law, the injured w ..read more

You can suffer many types of injuries at work, and head injuries are common. When an employee suffers an injury at work, they are eligible for workers’ compensation, insurance that covers the employee’s lost wages and medical expenses while they recover. Some injuries are apparent. For example, suppose an employee sprains their arm. In that case, anyone can see the hurt, making it easier for the employer to understand. However, if a worker suffers an injury that is not as obvious, such as a minor head injury while on the job, employers may be skeptical about the severity of the damage. Mild tr ..read more

A mysterious and excruciating disease recently underwent a name change in the hopes of reflecting the agony of those suffering from the affliction on a daily basis. What was once Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD) is now the equally vague Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). Even with the name change, hard-working professionals struck down by the illness' impact still struggle with securing workers' compensation benefits. What is CPRS? Regions affected on the body are numerous and commonly include arms, legs, buttocks, and ears as if the pain was not enough. Many insurance companies do not ..read more

Laid off with permanent limitations? It feels like not a week goes by when the news announces another round of lay offs at a Wisconsin employer. A recent article stated: Briggs & Stratton to layoff roughly 160 workers. Many of these workers might be eligible for worker's compensation benefits if their claims are still open. Oftentimes, an employer brings a worker back to work after the work injury, even if the worker has permanent limitations.  Employers can attempt to accommodate the worker's permanent limitations in their old or in a new position. Under the worker's compensation law ..read more

As a warehouse worker, you know the holiday season is upon you due to the abundant number of packages flooding through the facility. You and some colleagues must work overtime, lifting, moving and carrying loads of packages, some of which weigh up to 100 pounds. Such strenuous work can lead to a number of health hazards and workplace injuries, including lower back pain, ruptured discs, fractured vertebrae and spinal damage. A rare injury such as a cervical hematoma also is possible when damaged tissue or blood vessels lead to the build-up of fluid -- most likely blood – near the spine and push ..read more