In Minnesota, teachers who get injured or sick while on their jobs can seek financial support for their medical treatments through their workers’ comp insurance.
By reporting their workplace accident to their employer and filing a claim form, they can work towards receiving timely compensation for their medical bills, lost wages and/or disability.
Here are four types of injuries that teachers usually suffer from:
Repetitive strain injuries (RSI)
Teachers spend a lot of their time typing on computers, writing on chalkboards, grading student papers and reviewing project materials. Doing these repetitive tasks can put a heavy strain on their fingers, thumbs, elbows and wrist, which can cause pain, numbness and tingling sensations.
While most RSI can heal on their own, others can progress to more serious injuries such as tendonitis or carpal tunnel syndrome.
Stress-related headaches
Teachers often deal with long work shifts and high workloads. When they spend most of their time grading their students’ work and drafting their lesson plans, their stress and fatigue can turn into tension headaches or trigger painful migraine attacks.
Musculoskeletal pain
When teachers carry heavy materials, teach their lectures while standing up or sit in awkward positions for prolonged periods, they can develop joint, bone, or muscle pain in one or several areas of their bodies.
These musculoskeletal pains typically occur on their lower backs, upper backs, necks and shoulders, and can range from temporary to chronic pain.
Slips, trips and fall accidents
Schools are packed with students and teachers who regularly interact in busy environments. A cluttered walkway, a loose rug, a wet floor or uneven flooring can all become potential hazards for slipping and tripping accidents.
When this happens, a teacher can fall on the floor or ground and suffer from soft tissue injuries, concussions or broken bones.
Seek compensation for your accident at work
While being an educator is a deeply rewarding experience and profession, you should still prioritize your own health and safety.
If you have been hurt because of an accident at your school, you must seek prompt treatment for your injury and file a workers’ comp claim to receive financial help for your medical bills and lost wages.
