Truckers face a dangerous workplace with each haul they take. Many of the hazards they face are because they’re out on the open road while they go from the pickup point to the delivery location with each trip. While some injuries, such as those that come from a motor vehicle crash, might be obvious, there are some cumulative trauma injuries these professionals face that might not be thought of as often.
A cumulative trauma injury will usually start out as a bothersome issue. It isn’t something that makes you think something is seriously wrong. Some people will feel discomfort at the site of the injury, but it might abate or lessen once they get some rest, so they may assume they just moved in the wrong way.
As time progresses, the damage to the area becomes worse. This means the pain will intensify, and it may get to the point that even rest doesn’t help. At this point, the trucker might head to the doctor to find out what’s going on.
Some of the more common cumulative trauma injuries truckers might face include arthritis, tendonitis and bursitis. These three will typically affect joint areas, but the lower back might also be impacted. The tie that binds all these together is that rest is usually required to give the injury time to heal.
A trucker who isn’t doing hauls isn’t making any money. When the trucker works for a company, they may be able to count on workers’ compensation to get the medical bills covered and for partial wage replacement. When a company doesn’t have workers’ compensation coverage, the trucker will need to take action according to the state’s nonsubscriber laws.