Understanding Heavy Lifting Injuries and Workers’ Compensation Claims
If you’re a hard worker in Massachusetts or Rhode Island dealing with the pain and uncertainty of a work-related lifting injury, we are here to help. Facing medical bills and an uncertain future can be overwhelming, but you deserve clear answers and a path to recovery. The stress and discomfort of a serious injury can make navigating the legal process seem impossible, but it doesn’t have to be. This guide will help you understand your rights and the next steps to take, with Rob Levine Law providing the experience and knowledge to guide you through the complexities of workers’ compensation.
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November 3, 2025
What is a Heavy Lifting Injury?
Heavy lifting injury, often classified as an overexertion injury or a Musculoskeletal Disorder (MSD), refers to damage to the body’s soft tissues (muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves, and discs) caused by excessive physical effort. These injuries are the most common and costly type of workplace injury in the United States, often affecting the back, neck, and shoulders.
An injury from heavy lifting can occur in two primary ways:
- A Single Incident: An immediate, traumatic event, such as attempting to lift a load that is too heavy, twisting while carrying an object, or slipping while exerting force.
- Cumulative Trauma: Damage that builds up over time from the repeated stress of lifting, carrying, pushing, or pulling, often involving awkward postures or frequent repetition. In Massachusetts and Rhode Island, these types of injuries are also covered by workers’ compensation
What Are Common Symptoms of Heavy Lifting Injuries?
Lifting injuries most frequently affect the spine and joints. If you have been injured while handling materials at work, you may experience a variety of symptoms. Common injuries caused by heavy lifting include:
- Low Back Injuries: This is the most common result, often involving muscle strains, sprains, and serious conditions like a herniated disc (slipped disc). Symptoms usually involve pain, stiffness, and limited movement.
- Shoulder Injuries: These injuries can range from muscle strains to serious rotator cuff tears or instability. You may notice recurring pain in the shoulder, neck, or arm, along with a lack of strength for daily activities.
- Neck and Upper Back Strain: Awkward postures while lifting, or repetitive overhead work, can strain the muscles and joints of the neck and upper back. This can cause pain that radiates into the shoulders, headaches, and difficulty moving your head.
- Other Injuries: Cumulative trauma can also lead to nerve compression and joint inflammation in the hands, wrists, and elbows, such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome or Tendinitis.
What Commonly Causes Heavy Lifting Injuries?
Heavy lifting injuries are generally preventable and usually stem from one or more ergonomic risk factors. Ergonomics is the science of designing a job to fit the worker, and when proper ergonomic principles are ignored, the risk of injury skyrockets.
According to safety and health organizations, the most common causes of lifting injuries include:
- Excessive Force: Attempting to lift an object that is too heavy. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has a lifting equation that generally considers anything over 51 pounds to be a maximum load that must be carefully evaluated and adjusted for other risk factors.
- Awkward Postures and Movements: Bending, reaching, or twisting the back while holding a load places extreme stress on the spine. Holding a heavy object far away from your body also significantly increases the force on your back.
- Repetition and Duration: Performing the same lifting motion too frequently or holding materials for long periods of time fatigues the muscles, raising the risk of cumulative injury.
- Poor Equipment or Environment: The lack of proper tools (like carts or mechanical lifts) or a cluttered workspace that forces a worker to use awkward postures can lead directly to injury.
Can I Sue For a Heavy Lifting Injury?
When you suffer a work injury in Massachusetts or Rhode Island, your first and most reliable option is generally the Workers’ Compensation system, which is a no-fault insurance program meaning you can receive benefits for medical treatment and lost wages even if the injury was caused by a mistake you made while lifting. As a result, you typically cannot sue your direct employer for negligence because the Workers’ Compensation system is generally the exclusive remedy; however, an injured employee may have the right to bring a claim against the employer outside of the Workers’ Compensation system if the employer did not have Workers’ Compensation insurance at the time of the injury or if the injury was caused by serious and reckless negligence on the part of the employer.
In all other cases, just like with other work-related incidents, you may have the right to file a third-party liability claim.
A third-party claim is a personal injury lawsuit filed against a person or company that is not your direct employer or a coworker, but whose negligence contributed to your injury. For a heavy lifting injury, a third party could include:
- The manufacturer of defective lifting equipment, machinery, or tools.
- An outside supplier that negligently packaged or delivered materials in an unsafe or unstable manner.
- A property owner or site manager who was responsible for maintaining a safe floor or workspace but failed to clean up a spill or remove debris, causing you to slip while carrying a load.
Pursuing a third-party claim is complex because you must handle both the workers’ compensation claim and the separate personal injury claim simultaneously. Successfully navigating both can be crucial to getting full compensation for damages that workers’ compensation doesn’t cover, such as pain and suffering.
How a Rob Levine Law Workers’ Compensation Lawyer Can Help After A Heavy Lifting Injury?
We know a heavy lifting injury can disrupt your ability to earn a living and enjoy your life. At Rob Levine Law, we are committed to protecting your rights and helping you get the compensation you deserve. The workers’ compensation process, from filing the initial claim to appealing a denial, can be challenging. Our experienced workers’ compensation lawyers can help you overcome these hurdles with professional, compassionate support. Focus on your physical recovery, and let us handle the legal burden. Call us today at (800) 742-3920 or reach out online to schedule a free consultation.
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