Sprains & Strains

When people think about serious workplace injuries, they often imagine broken bones or heavy machinery accidents. However, sprains and strains, which are often dismissed as “minor,” can be just as disruptive. These soft tissue injuries can take weeks or even months to heal, sometimes leaving workers with chronic pain and lasting limitations.

If you’ve suffered a sprain or strain on the job, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. Unfortunately, many injured workers find that insurance companies try to downplay these injuries or deny claims outright. That’s why working with an experienced sprain injury lawyer can make all the difference in protecting your health and your livelihood.

What’s the Difference Between a Sprain and a Strain?

While they sound similar, sprains and strains affect different parts of the body:

• A sprain is an injury to a ligament (the tough bands of tissue that connect bones at a joint). Common sites of sprains include the ankles, knees, and wrists.
• Unlike a sprain, a strain is an injury to a muscle or tendon (the tissue that connects muscle to bone). Strains often affect the back, shoulders, or hamstrings.

Both can range from mild overstretching to severe tears that may require surgery. And both can leave you unable to do your job safely until you recover.

How Sprains and Strains Happen at Work

Workplaces are full of risk factors that can cause sprains and strains. You don’t have to work on a construction site to suffer these types of injuries. Healthcare workers, custodians, machinists, and mechanics are just some of the types of workers who may receive these injuries. Some of the most common include:

Slips, Trips, and Falls

Missteps on wet floors, cluttered walkways, or uneven surfaces can cause workers to twist a joint or overstretch muscles, leading to sprains or strains.

Overexertion

Lifting heavy boxes or carrying bulky items can overstress muscles and tendons, especially in the back and shoulders. Overexertion remains one of the top causes of workplace injuries nationwide.

Repetitive Motion

Jobs that require repetitive movement, such as bending, reaching, or lifting, can gradually wear down ligaments and tendons, leading to painful sprains and strains.

Sudden Lifting Injuries

Even seasoned workers can get hurt lifting something awkwardly or unexpectedly heavy. A single wrong move can overstretch tissues and leave you with a lasting injury.

Sprains and strains can occur in virtually any industry, but industries that are more industrial-based or have a strong emphasis on the care of immobile or disabled patients have a higher risk of injury.

Why These Injuries Aren’t “Minor”

Some employers and insurers try to brush off sprains and strains as temporary aches that don’t need compensation. Anyone who has lived through an injury like this knows the reality:

• Time off work. Many sprains and strains require days, weeks, or even months of recovery.
• Medical care. Severe cases often need physical therapy, braces, or even surgery.
• Chronic pain. If ligaments or tendons don’t heal properly, ongoing pain can limit mobility and work capacity.
• Reinjury risk. A weakened joint or muscle is more vulnerable to future injury.

For workers who rely on their bodies every day, these injuries are anything but minor.

What Workers’ Compensation Should Cover

If you suffer a sprain or strain on the job, workers’ comp benefits should help with:

• Medical expenses. Medical expenses include doctor visits, diagnostic imaging, physical therapy, medications, and in some cases, surgery.
• Wage replacement. This benefit covers a portion of your lost wages while you’re unable to work.
• Disability benefits. You may receive disability benefits if the injury causes lasting limitations or prevents you from returning to your prior role.
• Rehabilitation support. This benefit provides services to help you safely transition back to work.

Unfortunately, insurance companies often deny sprain and strain claims by arguing the injury isn’t severe enough or wasn’t caused by work. When this happens, it is smart to hire legal help.

Why Claims Get Denied

Sprains and strains are frequently challenged in the workers’ comp system. Insurers may say the injury was “pre-existing” rather than work-related, or that it wasn’t serious enough to require medical treatment. They may say that it happened outside the workplace, or that you can return to work even if you’re still in pain.

These tactics leave injured workers feeling stuck between recovering properly and keeping their jobs. Even if your claim has been denied, you should know you still have options. Hiring an attorney can help.

How a Sprain Injury Lawyer Can Help

If your claim is denied or undervalued, an experienced attorney can step in and fight for you. A sprain injury lawyer can:

• Collect medical evidence that proves the seriousness of your injury
• Challenge unfair denials or attempts to minimize your benefits
• Negotiate for full coverage of your treatment and lost wages
• Represent you in hearings or appeals if necessary

With legal help, you don’t have to face an insurance company alone.

Real Impacts on Your Life and Livelihood

Sprains and strains can affect your entire life. You may struggle to perform basic household tasks, care for your family, or even sleep comfortably. Financial stress adds another layer when you’re missing work and medical bills are piling up.

Workers’ compensation exists to give you time and resources to heal without sacrificing your financial stability. Legal support is important when insurers fail to honor that promise.

Contact Pond Lehocky Today

If you’re dealing with a sprain or strain from work, don’t let anyone tell you it’s “just a minor injury.” Your health and your ability to earn a living are too important to take lightly.

At Pond Lehocky, we’ve helped thousands of injured workers secure the benefits they deserve, and we’re ready to do the same for you. Our team knows how insurers try to minimize sprains and strains, and we know how to fight back.

Contact us today to speak with a dedicated attorney about your case. With the right help, you can focus on healing while we focus on protecting your future.