Working in a nursing home means helping people through some of the most physically demanding moments of their day. Whether you’re transferring residents, repositioning them in bed, or helping prevent falls, the work often requires repetitive lifting and awkward movements. Unfortunately, those same tasks frequently lead to serious back, shoulder, and neck injuries. If you’re searching for a nursing home injury lawyer because your pain started on the job, you may already qualify for New Jersey workers’ compensation benefits, even if your injury developed over time rather than from one dramatic accident.
At Petro Cohen, P.C., we know these injuries are often minimized by employers and insurance companies. A valid claim should reflect the true impact your injury has on your health, your ability to work, and your future.
Why Nursing Home Workers Face So Many Lifting Injuries
Nursing assistants and other long-term care staff perform hundreds of patient movements during a typical week. Many involve supporting residents who cannot bear their own weight, helping with transfers, repositioning patients, or preventing unexpected falls.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) identifies manual patient handling as one of the leading causes of musculoskeletal disorders in healthcare. Nursing assistants consistently experience one of the highest rates of work-related musculoskeletal injuries requiring days away from work, largely because of repeated lifting, transferring, and repositioning of patients.
New Jersey recognizes these risks. The state’s Safe Patient Handling Act was specifically adopted to reduce work-related musculoskeletal injuries among healthcare workers by promoting safer patient handling practices in hospitals and nursing homes.
Common Lifting Injuries That May Qualify for Workers’ Compensation
Many nursing home employees assume they only have a claim if they suffer a sudden accident. In reality, New Jersey workers’ compensation also covers many injuries that develop through repetitive physical demands. These claims are also known as wear and tear claims.
Common examples include:
- Herniated or bulging discs,
- Chronic lower back strains,
- Rotator cuff tears,
- Shoulder impingement,
- Neck injuries,
- Sciatica and nerve compression, and
- Muscle tears from transferring residents.
These conditions often begin as mild soreness before becoming severe enough to require medical treatment or time away from work. A workers’ compensation back injury claim may still be valid even when symptoms worsen gradually.
Does Repeated Lifting Count as a Work Injury?
Yes. New Jersey’s workers’ compensation system covers both traumatic accidents and many occupational injuries that result from repetitive job duties. If years of moving residents contributed to your condition, you do not necessarily need to point to one specific shift when everything went wrong.
Medical evidence becomes especially important in these cases. Your treating physicians, medical records, and work history can help establish that your injury resulted from the physical demands of caring for residents rather than everyday life.
Dealing with a Back Injury and Workers’ Compensation: Why Legal Representation Matters
Insurance companies sometimes argue that back or shoulder problems are simply part of aging or unrelated to work. Others authorize treatment but undervalue the long-term effects of the injury.
An experienced nursing home injury lawyer helps work so that:
- Medical evidence clearly connects your injury to patient lifting duties,
- You receive all medical treatment available under New Jersey workers’ compensation,
- Temporary disability benefits are properly calculated if you cannot work,
- Permanent disability benefits accurately reflect any lasting impairment, and
- Any workers’ compensation back injury settlement negotiations account for future limitations rather than focusing only on today’s medical bills.
The goal is not simply getting a claim approved; it is making sure the value of the claim reflects the full extent of your losses.
What Should You Do After a Lifting Injury?
If you believe your injury came from lifting or transferring residents:
- Report the injury to your employer as soon as possible, even if symptoms developed gradually;
- Seek medical treatment promptly and explain exactly how your work activities contributed to your condition; and
- Follow all treatment recommendations and keep records of your appointments and work restrictions.
It is also wise to speak with an attorney early if your employer questions your claim, delays treatment, or suggests your workers’ compensation back pain is unrelated to your job.
New Jersey Workers’ Compensation Protects Injured Healthcare Workers
New Jersey’s Workers’ Compensation Act generally provides benefits regardless of who caused the injury, allowing employees to recover medical treatment and wage replacement without proving employer negligence. When employers or insurers create unnecessary obstacles, experienced legal representation can help enforce those rights.
At Petro Cohen, P.C., we understand how physically demanding nursing home work can be. Patient handling injuries are not minor aches that should simply be ignored. They are recognized occupational hazards, and injured healthcare workers deserve to have their claims taken seriously.
If repeated lifting has left you struggling with back or shoulder pain, speaking with an experienced nursing home injury lawyer can help bring your workers’ compensation claim the attention and the value it deserves. Contact us today to learn more.
Legal References Used to Inform This Page
To ensure the accuracy and clarity of this page, we referenced official legal resources during the content development process:
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration – Safe Patient Handling
- New Jersey Safe Patient Handling Act
- N.J.S.A. 34:15-31 – Jersey’s Workers’ Compensation Act
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