The California Workers’ Compensation system manages the medical care of a wide variety of accidents, ranging from simple first aid to catastrophic injuries. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 2.6 million nonfatal injuries and illnesses recorded in the private industry in 2021 nationwide, with 683,502 total claims recorded in California alone (1). In California in 2021, there were roughly 212,821 claims involving the upper extremities and 121,274 claims involving the lower extremities (2).
Common Injuries That Qualify You for Workers’ Compensation
Sprains and Strains: These are often diagnosed as soft tissue injuries to muscles, tendons, and ligaments, and can affect various parts of the body, including the back, neck, shoulders and limbs. Lumbar spine injuries alone account for roughly one-third of Workers’ Compensation claims nationwide and about 10% of claims in California. In 2021, there were 65,120 industrial back injury cases in California involving sprains, strains and tears. Ankles and knees are also the most common joints affected by sprains. Around 234,000 cases total in California in 2021 involved sprains, strains and tears affecting all body parts (2). These minor injuries are rarely the focus of litigated Workers’ Compensation cases requiring a QME opinion.
Fractures and Dislocations: A serious risk of physical labor is skeletal fractures. These most commonly affect the ankle, foot, finger, rib, and wrist, whether by automotive collision, rotational injury, or direct impact. Fractures were seen in roughly 14,000 Workers’ Compensation cases in 2021 in California (2).
Rotator Cuff Tears: These are one of the most common forms of upper extremity injury in the Workers’ Compensation population, which is reasonable considering the high prevalence in the general population. Industrial rotator cuff injuries can be caused by repetitive motions or an accident. 36,000 shoulder injuries were seen in Workers’ Compensation cases in California in 2021 (2).
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: This is a common diagnosis among workers who perform repetitive hand and wrist motions, often due to activities like typing or assembly line work. Other upper extremity conditions that can arise from repetitive motions include tendonitis, bursitis, nerve entrapment disorders, radial tunnel syndrome, tenosynovitis, and medial or lateral epicondylitis. Carpal tunnel syndrome was seen in roughly 2,700 Workers’ Compensation cases in California in 2021 (2).
Herniated Discs: Disc injury can be caused by on-the-job accidents or symptoms of pre-existing degenerative disc disease in the cervical or lumbar spine can be made worse—whether temporarily or permanently— by heavy labor. There were roughly 2,900 disc injuries recorded in California in 2021 (2).
Risk of injury can vary widely based on the type of work, industry, and circumstances of the injury and illness. More than two thirds of industrial injuries involve the musculoskeletal system, and Orthopaedic Surgeons play a crucial role in evaluating and diagnosing these conditions to ensure appropriate treatment and compensation for injured workers. Workers’ Compensation is designed to protect injured workers, and medical expertise is required by the legal system to ensure appropriate treatment and awards. A QME is responsible to provide an unbiased review of injuries and determine the extent of disability.
References
- Occupational Injuries/Illnesses and Fatal Injuries Profiles. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. [Online] https://data.bls.gov/gqt/InitialPage.
- Workers’ Compensation Information System. State of California Department of Industrial Relations. [Online] https://www.dir.ca.gov/dwc/wcis/WCIS_tables/Tables1-3/WCIS_Reports-Table1-3.html.