Repetitive or Continuous Traumas

A repetitive or continuous trauma is an injury that is produced by the repetitive nature of the work or from the repeated exposure to the unfavorable work environment. Typical examples are: hearing loss from long term exposure to loud noise(s) without adequate ear protections; repetitive typing on a keyboard for secretaries; or long-term lifting of heavy objects for construction workers.

If you believe that you have suffered a continuous trauma, feel free to give us Fong brothers a call. THE CALL IS FREE AND WE WILL ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS BY GIVING YOU A FREE CONSULTATION!!!

Neck And Back Injuries

An injury to the neck and/or back can happen due to wear and tear from heavy work or from blunt trauma. The degree of this injury can range from a minor sprain/strain to a herniation of a disc.

A sprain or strain is a tear of the muscles, ligaments and tendons. The purpose of these muscles, ligaments and tendons is to connect the bones and vertebrae together, and when the muscles, ligaments or tendons are overstretched it causes inflammation. A more severe type of strain/strain means that these muscles, ligaments and/or tendons are torn.

A disc herniation is a condition where the padding-like substance between the two vertebrae slips out and pushes on the surrounding nerves thereby causing severe pain. A disc herniation is typically caused by lifting a heavy object in an improper position and it can be diagnosed with an MRI scan of the neck or back along with nerve testing to determine radiculopathy.

Shoulders, Arms and Hands

Shoulder injury: typically an injury to the shoulder is to the rotator cuff which is the part that joins the shoulder to the upper body. A rotator cuff is united with muscles and tendons to the ball of the upper arm. A rotator cuff tear is caused by either lifting something heavy once or repetitive heavy lifting/movements. A tear normally does not heal by itself and will require surgery to repair it by sowing the torn tendons back together again.

Injury to the Arms and Hands: Typically an injury to the hands is due to repetitive work such as  typing. However, blunt trauma is also known to cause an injury as well. The injury can result in carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) which is compression of the nerve running through the tunnel from the forearm to the hands. When the nerve is compressed, pain will result. Other symptoms include numbing, tingling, loss of feelings and restricted motions.

Legs, Knees, Hips and Feet

Injures to the knees and/or legs are quite common from either a blunt trauma or from repetitive heavy work. A sudden (or acute) knee injury is from a direct blow or from abnormal bending/twisting/falling on the knee. A repetitive trauma to the knee can be caused by repetitive heavy work such as lifting and/or carrying heavy objects all day long.

One of the most common type of injury is an”anterior cruciate ligament” (ACL) injury which is either a partial or full tear in the knee joint. An ACL tear will almost always require surgery to repair the damage.

An injury to the hip usually is due to a fall. If this happened to you at work, go see a doctor right away.

An injury to the foot is very common and such a condition is called “plantar fasciitis” the swelling of the tissue at the bottom of your feet. The tissue at the bottom of your foot is called “plantar fascia” which is a ligament that supports the bottom of the foot. Damage in this part of the foot is caused all too often by workers who have to do a lot of prolonged standing and walking. The common occupations which produce this type of injury are teachers, door-to-door salespersons, factory workers, construction workers, etc.

If you have any of these conditions, don’t wait!!!! Go see a doctor and then give us FONG BROTHERS a call!!! The call and the consultation are free!!!

Brain and Head Traumas

A brain injury usually happens from blunt force to this region of the body such as a fall, a vehicular accident, or a deep penetrating wound. Permanent brain damage may result therefrom. A neurologist can detect permanent brain damage by running a series of tests including a brain MRI and doing a clinical examination.

But DON’T BE FOOLED!!!!! Sometimes brain damage can result from a work-related injury not directly in the cranial region. For example, a work-related injury to the leg causing excessive blood loss which in turn results in oxygen deprivation to the brain can result in permanent brain damage. An insurance carrier will be quick to deny liability to the brain as the initial injury was to the leg and not to the head. So, if you find that you or your loved one is having problems with the head after the industrial injury, don’t wait!!!! Go see a doctor and then give us FONG BROTHERS a call!!! The call and the consultation are free!!!

Psychiatric and Psychological Injuries

An industrial psychiatric or psychological injury is trauma to the mental state due to stress from the job. The stress can come in several forms: (i) repetitive trauma from such events as too much work, perceived mistreatment, discrimination, etc.; (ii) one specific traumatic event incident (e.g. robbery, sexual harassment, etc.); or (iii) a physical injury (e.g., back pain) producing depression as pain is known to cause depression and stress.

The recent changes of the law in California have limited the recovery of compensation derived from psychiatric/psychological injuries: (a) being employed for less than six (6) months disqualifies the worker from successfully recovering compensation from a pure psychiatric claim, unless the employment condition producing the injury was “sudden and extraordinary”; (b) if you are physically injured and the physical injury has caused a mental injury such as depression, then you (the injured worker) cannot recover, unless you are a victim of a violent act or unless the type of injury is “catastrophic.”

If you have symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress and other mental anguish that you attribute in whole or in part to the job, don’t wait!!!! Go see a doctor and then give us FONG BROTHERS a call!!! The call and the consultation are free!!!

Heart, Hypertension, Diabetes and Lung Injuries

The heart can be injured due to too much stress. Job stress is known to cause or accelerate hypertension and high blood pressure. Also, pain from an injury can also lead to worsening of a hypertensive condition. Diabetes is also a medical condition that can be aggravated or made worse by job stress and/or an orthopedic injury.

The lungs normally are injured by exposure to chemicals, dust, fumes etc. from the job. If you feel that your lungs were impacted by the work environment, don’t wait!!!! Go see a doctor and then give us FONG BROTHERS a call!!! The call and the consultation are free!!!

Death Claims & Benefits

If your friend or a loved one died and you believe that the job events somehow contributed to the death, don’t wait!!!! Give us FONG BROTHERS a call!!! The call and the consultation are free!!!

Please remember that the job does not have to have caused the death directly (e.g., falling from height). So long as the work had some contribution to the death (e.g., job stress precipitating a heart attack or stroke), then the dependents of the deceased worker can recover.

Please click here to see “death benefits.“

All Other Work Injuries

• sexual dysfunction (e.g., pain from an orthopedic injury can interfere with sexual activities)
• sleeping disorders (e.g. pain from an orthopedic injury or stress causing sleepless nights)
• uterus (e.g., prolapse from lifting a heavy object)
• ears, nose and throat (e.g., exposed to dust, fumes, noise, chemicals and/or asbestos)
• skin & disfigurements (e.g., rashes, scarring from cuts, surgical scars, etc.)
• hernias (e.g., lifting heavy boxes and objects)
• liver and/or kidney damage (e.g., from medications used to treat your industrial injury)
• cancer from exposure to chemicals, asbestos, etc.
• strokes (e.g., stress from the job)
• Teeth, Mouth & Jaw (e.g. temporomandibular joint disease, teeth grinding, dry mouth etc.)
• Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
• Fibromyalgia

We cover them all!!!!! Give us FONG BROTHERS a call!!! The call and the consultation are free!!!