Many people might associate repetitive stress injuries with jobs that entail heavy lifting or frequently operating power tools by hand. The fact is that truck drivers also perform repetitive motions all day every day and these can eventually culminate in a serious injury.
Suffering a repetitive stress injury as a truck driver can cause you serious pain or even put you out of the job for prolonged periods. Understanding more about the common causes of repetitive stress injuries can help you avoid such an injury and file an accurate workers’ compensation claim if one does occur.
Steering wheel handling
Gripping the steering wheel and fighting against the drag of the road for hours at a time can put an unexpected strain on your hands and wrists. Carpal tunnel syndrome is one possible result of this strain, which may lead to further grip strength issues in the future.
Strenuous neck motions
Large trucks have exceptionally large blind spots, often demanding that the driver turns and cranes their neck into awkward positions to see behind them. If the stress of these motions builds up to a critical point, you might experience a neck sprain or painful spasms.
Operating foot pedals
Operating the gas, brake and clutch pedals of a large truck puts your feet and ankles into strange positions at times. Maintaining these positions and actions from morning to night can cause stress and strain to accumulate if you do not rest the joints properly.
If your duties as a truck driver contribute to the onset of a repetitive stress injury, you have the right to file for workers’ compensation. Claiming your settlement helps ensure you get the treatment you need and that you can get back behind the wheel as soon as possible.
