When you are suddenly injured at work, there is a clearer timeline for reporting and filing for workers’ compensation. However, when your injury or disease occurs over time from repeated strain or trauma, it can be harder to determine how to report and get compensation. In high-risk industries, this process is especially important. It helps to understand cumulative trauma claims for San Diego healthcare and hospitality workers. A San Diego workers' compensation attorney can help protect your health and future.
Understanding Cumulative Trauma
Cumulative trauma refers to injuries, diseases, and other harm that develops over time. In workers’ compensation claims, the trauma accumulates because of your job duties. This includes injuries like carpal tunnel, chronic back pain, or diseases from hazardous exposure.
These cases have increased significantly in recent years. The California Workers’ Compensation Institute reported that workers’ comp claims for cumulative trauma have nearly doubled from 2018 to 2025. The study points to factors like the COVID-19 pandemic, while at the same time not being due to a single location, industry, or type of injury. However, some industries see higher incident rates due to the higher physical expectations of the field.
Cumulative Trauma Risks in Hospitals in San Diego
Healthcare and hospital employees are at a high risk for cumulative trauma injuries and diseases, including:
- Lifting and transferring patients causing spine injuries and degenerative disk disease
- Carpal tunnel or tendonitis from repeated hand motions, such as stitching, typing, or surgical motions
- Exposure to illnesses and diseases
- Walking and standing causing chronic hip and back pain
These injuries can affect employees at hospitals and medical centers like Kaiser Permanente San Diego Medical Center, Sharp Memorial Hospital, and Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego.
From 2022 to 2024, cumulative trauma claims made up 14% of healthcare industry indemnity claims, an increase from 11% between 2017 and 2019, according to the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau (WCIRB) of California.
Cumulative Trauma Risks in the Hospitality Industry in San Diego
Employees in the hospitality industry can face several types of cumulative trauma, including those in janitorial services like Merchants Building Maintenance, in theme parks like SeaWorld San Diego, and at hotels like Hilton San Diego Bayfront. Injuries or diseases might include:
- Back and spine injuries from bending to clean
- Repeated lifting or high-impact running or jumping causing degenerative disc disease
- De Quervain tenosynovitis caused by repeated motions like typing or gardening
- Poorly designed workstations that lead to spine, neck, and back pain
- Respiratory illnesses from exposure to cleaning products
- Exposure to certain chemicals causing cancer
The WCRIB reported that cumulative trauma claims made up 15% of accommodation and food services indemnity claims and 8% of trade and transportation indemnity claims from 2017 to 2019, which increased to 21% and 12%, respectively.
Workers’ Compensation Claims for Cumulative Trauma
San Diego employees can recover limited compensation in workers’ compensation claims, including partial wages and the cost of medical treatment. This includes coverage for the costs of cumulative trauma injuries and diseases.
However, these claims have to be done right to secure your financial recovery, and they need sufficient evidence. Insurance companies may fight harder on these claims because they are harder to prove. It’s important that you have medical documentation, workplace schedules, and other key evidence when you make your claim.
Time Limits on Cumulative Trauma Claims
It’s crucial that hospital and hospitality employees know when they need to file claims by, and when their employer is liable. In California, the liability for cumulative trauma injuries is limited to:
- Claims against employers who employed you for a minimum of four years immediately before your date of injury
- Claims against employers made on the last date you were employed in that injury, which exposed you to the hazards that caused your cumulative trauma
The date of injury is the date when you first suffered disability from the cumulative trauma, and you knew or should have known that it was the result of your employment. Your workers’ compensation claim has to be filed within one year of this date. Otherwise, you will likely be barred from financial compensation.
FAQs
Can I Claim Workers’ Compensation for Cumulative Trauma in California?
Yes, you may be able to claim workers’ compensation for cumulative trauma in California, although it depends on the injury and how you handle the case. It’s important to file these claims within a year of the date of injury, and to list the current date of injury. This claim could recover compensation for medical treatment, lost income, and other financial losses, but handling the process wrong could result in a denied claim.
How Can You Prove Cumulative Trauma for a Workers’ Comp Claim?
For a workers’ comp claim for cumulative trauma, you may be able to use proof like the days you took off work because of the injury or disease and medical documentation. The medical documentation can assess the impact of the injury or disease over time and provide professional insight into the condition. Days off can help outline when the injury most affected you. Proof can also include the specific physical demands of your job or hazards you are exposed to.
What Are Some Examples of Cumulative Trauma Disorders?
Some examples of cumulative trauma disorders include carpal tunnel in the wrists, hearing loss, degenerative disk disease affecting spinal disks, chronic traumatic encephalopathy in the brain, tendonitis, tenosynovitis, Raynaud’s Syndrome, and other forms of chronic pain.
These are forms of cumulative trauma usually caused by repeated physical strain. There are also cumulative trauma disorders caused by exposure to certain hazardous environments or substances. These might lead to respiratory illnesses or cancer.
What Injury Pays the Highest for a Workers’ Comp Claim?
The injury that pays the highest for a workers’ comp claim is an injury that permanently affects your life, preventing you from continuing your work or completing gainful employment in another field. Injuries with higher medical costs also cost more. Every workers’ compensation claim is unique because every injury is unique. To get the most financial compensation available for your unique workplace injury, it helps to hire a workers’ compensation lawyer.
Hire a Workers’ Compensation Lawyer in San Diego
It is much easier to recover the compensation you deserve when you work with an experienced workers’ compensation attorney. At Mitchell Law Corporation, our team has spent the last 20 years handling California workers’ compensation claims, and we understand the specifics of cumulative trauma injuries and diseases. Contact us today.
