Maritime Repetitive Motion Injuries
Repetitive motion injuries are an incredibly common workplace injury both on water and on land – and they’re one of the most misunderstood, too.
Repetitive motion injuries, true to their name, are any injury or physical condition caused by continuous and repetitive tasks. They can take many forms, and are caused by performing the same work over and over again to the point where your body is damaged simply through movement.
One of the more dangerous aspects about repetitive motion injuries is the amount of time they can often take to appear. As opposed to some of the more immediate types of maritime injuries, repetitive motion injuries can take days, months, or even years to manifest, leaving you potentially unable to work or maintain your current standard of living, even if you’re no longer performing the task that resulted in the injury.
Symptoms & Types of Repetitive Motion Injuries
Repetitive motion injuries, also called repetitive trauma or repetitive stress injuries, can take many forms depending on the work being performed. Some of the more common types of repetitive motion injury, or the symptoms thereof, can include:
- Weakness in muscles
- Cramps
- Tenderness
- Partial or full paralysis
- Loss of hearing
- Rotator cuff damage
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Sensitivity to cold and heat
While these symptoms on their own may be dangerous enough, when combined after an accident at work, they can have a major impact on your ability to earn a living.
Causes of Maritime Repetitive Motion Injuries
The type of work being done on the water typically involves heavy manual labor, and as such can easily lead itself to repetitive motion injuries simply through your normal job duties. Some of the more common causes include:
- Loud work environments without proper hearing protection
- Failure to teach proper lifting techniques
- Failure to provide safe lifting equipment
- Failure to provide adequate staffing to help with multiple-person lifting jobs
- Lack of rest breaks
- Aggravation of previous injuries
Many of these injuries are caused by negligence or irresponsibility on the part of the vessel owner, and may have been prevented if the owner was following proper safety procedures.
What Can I Do If I Suffer A Repetitive Motion Injury At Sea?
If your maritime work has led to you suffering a repetitive motion injury of any kind, you need the help of an experienced maritime injury lawyer. Contact the law offices of O’Bryan Law today, and we can begin reviewing your case and help you fight for the justice you deserve.
