Ligament tears can be painful and may even lead to chronic pain and damage to other parts of your joints. If your ligament tear occurred as a result of a workplace accident, you could receive compensation to cover a wide variety of costs. If your knee, ankle, or other ligament has been injured as a result of your job duties, speak to a workers’ comp attorney to learn about the steps you should take to claim your workers’ compensation.
Ligament Tears at Work
Ligaments are short bands of fibrous tissue that connect bones at the joints. They limit the amount of mobility in joints such as the knees and ankles and prevent certain movements. If ligaments are stretched or torn, this results in what is commonly known as a sprain. Ligament tears can happen anywhere in the body, but they usually happen in the knee and ankle joints. Many ligament tears do not require surgery, but severe ligament tears may require reconstructive surgeries to repair.
Causes of Ligament Tears
A wide variety of accidents can cause ligament tears, a number of which commonly occur on-the-job. Blunt force, quick changes in direction, and slip and falls can all cause ligament tears. Other common causes of this painful injury include:
- Sudden hits
- Twisting motions
- Bending joints too far
- Landing from jumps
- Lifting and bending
Additionally, these types of accidents, which are often work-related, come with a high risk of sprains:
- Ladder falls
- Car accidents
- Slip and falls
- Loading heavy cargo
- Operating heavy machinery
- Repetitive motions
Workers’ Compensation Benefits for Ligament Tears
If your ligament tear has caused you to miss at least five days of work, you can file a workers’ compensation claim. If your claim is accepted by your employer’s insurance company, you could receive weekly disability benefits based on the severity of your injury, compensation for necessary medical treatment, lost wages, and other benefits, which could include:
- Physical therapy
- Vocational rehabilitation
- Prescription medication
- Mileage to and from the hospital, plus parking costs
Contact a Massachusetts Workers’ Comp Lawyer
Ligament tears can be painful and expensive injuries. It’s common for workers to brush this type of injury off since ligament tears aren’t usually serious. But did you know that your injury doesn’t have to be serious for you to receive workers’ compensation? You never know how long your ligament tear will take to fully heal, or if the tear can lead to more serious damage. Don’t wait. Speak to one of our workers’ comp attorneys at Powers & Caccavale by filling out our free case evaluation or by calling us at (617) 379-0016.