If you have suffered a repetitive stress injury at work, you need a skilled Wilkes-Barre repetitive stress injury lawyer to evaluate your situation and build a strong case on your behalf. For nearly 70 years, the attorneys at Munley Law have represented a range of personal injury cases, winning many settlements for our clients, including repetitive and on-the-job injury verdicts like a $1 million jury award for a crush injury to a trucker’s foot.
All our Wilkes-Barre lawyers belong to respected organizations like the Pennsylvania Bar Association, where Caroline Munley is named a certified workers’ compensation specialist by the Section on Workers’ Compensation Law. Our attorneys have also been honored by Best Lawyers, with Marion Munley named Lawyer of the Year for Product Liability Litigation, Medical Malpractice Law, and Personal Injury Litigation, Daniel Munley named Lawyer of the Year for Product Liability Litigation, and J. Christopher Munley listed as a Lawyer of the Year for Workers’ Compensation.
Our legal experts will comprehensively evaluate your case and take all your suffering into account to secure you the compensation you deserve. Contact our repetitive injury attorneys today for a free, no-obligations initial consultation.
How Do Repetitive Stress Injuries Happen?
In 2019, over 17,000 people were injured because of repetitive actions in the workplace, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). More recent BLS statistics show that over 946,500 US workers reported sustaining a musculoskeletal disorder – a type of repetitive stress injury – in 2023.
Most repetitive injuries stem from seemingly simple tasks—typing, using the same tool again and again, or repeating one motion for hours—yet Wilkes-Barre workers’ compensation benefits can still apply.
A repetitive strain injury happens when a worker’s muscles or joints become strained while repeatedly doing the same motions at work. A repetitive stress injury damages the muscles, nerves, ligaments, or tendons of workers who perform the same task repeatedly on the job.
For example, a strain to the back or to the wrist that causes low back pain or carpal tunnel syndrome is a typical kind of repetitive strain injury. Repetitive strain injuries usually happen slowly over time. The more a worker does the same motion on the job, the worse the injury becomes. Eventually, these strains can become serious injuries that may prevent a worker from doing his or her job. Thankfully, under the Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act, many workers receive compensation for repetitive stress injuries.
Does Worker’s Compensation Cover Repetitive Stress Injury?
Under the Pennsylvania workers’ compensation law, any employee who is hurt on the job may be able to receive compensation for his losses. Money can be paid for lost wages, medical expenses, or disability. All work injuries and illnesses resulting in death, permanent impairment, or loss of time beyond a day or shift are covered. This includes repetitive strain and stress injuries caused by your work. An injury that worsens over time may even qualify for specific-loss benefits under Pennsylvania law. Even when non-work factors play a role, you may still collect benefits—and may also explore third-party claims against outside parties.
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Call Us At 844-686-5397 Are Workers in Some Industries More Likely to Suffer a Repetitive Strain Injury?
It is not only people who repeatedly lift or move heavy items that suffer a repetitive stress injury. Any worker who repeats the same motion, day after day, is at risk of developing a repetitive strain injury. These workers are more likely to be harmed by repetitive actions:
- Grocery store clerks who spend their entire shift scanning products at checkout.
- Assembly-line staff and warehouse repetitive-motion employees perform identical tasks every shift.
- Office workers who spend all day at a keyboard.
- Electricians, plumbers, and similar tradespeople who grip the same tools for hours often face injuries familiar to healthcare-worker repetitive-stress cases as well.
How Many Different Injuries and Illnesses Are Covered by Workers’ Comp?
Workers’ compensation benefits exist to compensate injured workers for medical expenses and lost wages. Wilkes-Barre workers’ compensation is paid for many different kinds of injuries and illnesses that happen on the job. Here are examples of some of the most common injuries covered by workers’ compensation:
- Nearly 37% of injuries suffered by Pennsylvania workers in 2019 were sprains or strains. By 2024, this number had decreased slightly to 1%, although the 58,295 cases reported still make sprains and strains the most prevalent work injury type in the state.
- Most commonly, workers suffered injuries to their upper extremities (shoulders, arms, hands).
- 36% of injuries affected the shoulders, arms, forearms, wrists, hands, and fingers. In 2024, injuries to the upper extremities accounted for 37.7% of cases, with finger injuries being most often reported.
- The next most common injuries harmed the lower extremities, with 26% of injuries to the legs, ankles, feet, and toes. As of 2024, these types of injuries decreased to 22.5% of the total reported
- 19% of injuries in 2019 were to the worker’s trunk or mid-body, decreasing to 16.8% in 2024, with the back most often affected.
- 12% of injuries were to the head and neck. Five years later, these injuries accounted for 15% of all reported injuries.
- 7% of workers suffered multiple injuries to more than one body part.
“For more than three generations, our family has been fighting for justice. It’s more than a career choice—it’s written into our DNA.”
Robert W. Munley, III
A Workers’ Compensation Lawyer in Wilkes-Barre Can Help You File Your Claim
A Wilkes-Barre workers’ compensation claim for repetitive injury can be complicated. It can be really hard if you are not familiar with filing workers’ compensation claims. Most workers have never filed a work injury claim before. Unfortunately, one little mistake could mean your entire workers’ compensation claim will be denied. Even after benefits start, the insurer may cut them off early, forcing you to appeal a denied workers’ comp claim to keep money coming. That’s why, before payments stop, it’s often worth getting a workers’ comp lawyer to safeguard your medical coverage.
Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys’ experienced workers’ compensation attorneys are committed to helping injured workers get the benefits they deserve. The skilled lawyers at our workers’ compensation law firm accept all kinds of work-related injuries, including repetitive stress injury claims, and have obtained many top settlements and verdicts for clients. Every workplace injury lawyer in our firm is professional, experienced, and skilled at helping hurt employees in Luzerne County get the compensation they deserve. We work hard to protect your rights. Contact us online or call us to speak to our experienced workers’ compensation lawyers in Wilkes-Barre for a free consultation.
Our Certifications and Achievements
The lawyers at Munley Law have won numerous multi-million dollar settlements in personal injury cases, and are ready to assist you in achieving similar results. Our attorneys have been awarded some of the legal industry’s most prestigious accolades to highlight our capabilities as well. Robert Munley III, Caroline Munley, and Marion Munley are members of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum for the size of their client settlements won, and many of our attorneys have been honored by the National Trial Lawyers Association, with all five partners have been named Top 100 Trial Lawyers in Pennsylvania, Marion and Daniel Munley named to the Top 10 Trucking Trial Lawyers, Caroline Munley named to the Top 25 Medical Malpractice Trial Lawyers in Pennsylvania and Top 25 Women Trial Lawyers in Pennsylvania lists, J. Christopher Munley is named to the Top 25 Motor Vehicle Trial Lawyers list, and Mackenzie Wilson named to the Top 40 Under 40 Civil Plaintiff Attorneys in Pennsylvania list.
All five of Munley Law’s partners hold AV Preeminent Ratings from Martindale-Hubbell and have all been featured in the Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers list, with Marion Munley also named to the Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America list. Eight of our lawyers have been further named Super Lawyers, with Marion Munley named to the Top 10 Super Lawyers in Pennsylvania, the Top 100 Super Lawyers in Pennsylvania, and the Top 50 Women Pennsylvania Super Lawyers directories. Caroline Munley is also a certified workers’ compensation specialist by the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Section on Workers’ Compensation Law, holding the skills and certifications needed to help you file successful workers’ comp claims for your repetitive strain injuries.
Can A Wilkes-Barre Comp Attorney Help If My Claim Is Denied?
Workers’ comp benefits are meant to cover medical bills and wage loss if you suffer a repetitive stress injury on the job. They also provide compensation if you have an existing repetitive strain injury that is made worse by your job.
When workers’ compensation cases for repetitive injury are denied, you can appeal. It is important to have a Wilkes-Barre comp attorney fighting for your rights and handling the appeals process for you. An appeal can be difficult and often takes a long time. If you are trying to recover from your injury, you need to focus on getting well. An experienced workers’ compensation attorney in Wilkes-Barre can handle the appeals process for you.
If you need to appeal the denial of a work comp claim in Luzerne County, discuss your options with a qualified Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys’ work injury lawyer today. Call or contact us to schedule a free consultation to discuss your claim and your rights.
What You Need to Do When You Suffer a Repetitive Strain Injury on the Job
Some workers might not go to the doctor for repetitive stress injuries in the hopes that the injury will get better on its own. Unfortunately, a repetitive strain injury usually worsens over time, not improves. It is important to see a doctor as soon as you begin to feel symptoms of a repetitive stress injury. The symptoms of a repetitive strain injury include stiffness, tingling, numbness, pain and tenderness, cramps, or weakness.
After you receive medical attention, fill out an incident report form at work and report your injury in writing to your supervisor as soon as possible. The workers’ compensation law of Pennsylvania provides that you have 120 days from the accident to file this report. In our experience, it is best not wait and to file your report within 3 days of the injury if you can.
When your injury has occurred over time, like a repetitive strain injury, it can be difficult to pinpoint the date of the “accident” or the day you suffered the injury. No one day caused the injury. The 120-day period will start no later than the date your doctor diagnoses you with a repetitive stress injury. But if you wait a long time to see a doctor, you run the risk of the employer stating that you filed your claim too late.
After you file your report, your employer’s workers’ comp insurance company will contact you to learn more about your injury. It is best if you talk with an experienced work injury lawyer in Luzerne County before talking to the insurance company. A skilled workers’ comp lawyer in Wilkes-Barre can talk directly to the insurance company for you to ensure you get the compensation you deserve.
Every claim moves through a complex process. Decisions on your claim can be made by a workers’ comp administrative judge, by negotiation and settlement, or through alternative dispute resolution processes like mediation.
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FAQs About Workers’ Comp for Repetitive Injuries
What is Pennsylvania’s Workers’ Comp for Workers?
The Pennsylvania workers’ compensation system requires employers to pay for insurance to cover any employees who get hurt on the job so they receive compensation. An injured worker can receive compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, and disability caused by work-related injuries. For most employers, workers’ comp coverage is required. If employers do not provide insurance coverage, they may be sued by their employees and may be prosecuted for a crime.
How Do I Know if I am Covered by Workers’ Comp?
The Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act requires most Pennsylvania employers, no matter how large or small, to provide workers’ comp insurance. Employees are covered from the first day on the job and for the entire time they work. Full-time and part-time workers are covered.
Not all workers are covered because they may be covered by other insurance or because they do not qualify under the law. These workers are not likely covered by Pennsylvania workers’ comp:
- Railroad workers and federal employees,
- Agricultural workers who work for one employer for less than 30 days in a year,
- Farm workers who earn less than $1,200 a year from one job,
- Workers who are independent contractors rather than employees,
- Workers who provide domestic services such as house cleaning and lawn care, and
- Volunteer workers.
How Long Do I Have to Report My Injury and File My Claim?
Under Pennsylvania law, you must report your injury to your employer within 120 days of the injury. You must file your claim within 3 years of the date of your injury. These time limits are strictly enforced so it is important for an injured worker to speak with an experienced Wilkes-Barre workers’ compensation lawyer as soon as possible. If you do not report your injury or file your claim in time, you will not be able to receive money for your injuries and your claim will be denied.
How Much Money Will I Receive for My Injuries?
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, workers and their families in Pennsylvania received over $2.8 million in 2019 from the workers’ compensation system. The amount you can receive for your injuries varies based upon:
- How severe your injuries are,
- Whether you are totally or partially disabled, and
- The amount of time you are unable to work.
What is Pennsylvania’s Maximum Weekly Benefit for Workers’ Compensation Claims in 2025?
According to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s official data, you can claim a maximum weekly workers’ compensation benefit of $1,347.00 during the 2025 calendar year.
Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys Has Competitive Advantages Over Other Work Injury Lawyers
At Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys, you get more than a lawyer. You get a law firm. Our attorneys work together as a team to give you the insight, experience, and combined efforts of our entire law firm. Our Wilkes-Barre personal injury lawyers are highly-skilled and have a reputation for working harder than other lawyers. We protect your rights and ensure you receive the compensation you deserve in your workers’ comp case. Our mission is to help injured victims so they can move forward in the best way possible.
The attorneys of Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys work on a contingency fee basis. This means you don’t pay any legal fees to Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys unless we collect money for you on your workers’ comp claim.
Call Munley Law today for a free consultation to speak to a qualified Wilkes-Barre work injury lawyer. Or contact us using our chat or online form. We will review your case, tell you about your legal rights, and advise you on how to proceed to receive the compensation you deserve for your repetitive stress and strain injuries.
Robert W. Munley, III
Robert W. Munley, III is a seasoned personal injury attorney and award-winning courtroom advocate. While he regularly handles a range of personal injury cases, his focus is on truck accidents and workers’ compensation cases. Bob has served thousands of accident victims and workers, winning them millions with his bold advocacy.
Reviewed by Bernadine Munley, Esq., Personal Injury Attorney at Munley Law, on January 5, 2026.
Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys
1170 PA-315
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702
(570) 399-0406
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