I Hurt My Back on the Job — What Should I Do?
I Hurt My Neck on the Job — What Should I Do?
I Aggravated a Pre-existing Condition on the Job – What Should I Do?
If you’ve suffered an on-the-job accident that injured your neck or back, you are not alone. Back and neck injuries are among the most common and most debilitating workplace injuries in Ohio — and you don’t have to face the workers’ compensation system by yourself.
Some employers expect workers to “tough it out.” Others don’t even submit the claim to the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC). Know this: you are the one with the legal obligation to file your claim. Don’t wait. In most cases, you have one year from the date of injury to file — and missing that deadline can cost you everything.
We Take Back and Neck Injuries Seriously
Gruhin & Gruhin fights to ensure injured workers receive all available benefits, including full medical treatment, lost wages, wage loss compensation, and injury money awards. Even a minor back or neck injury can keep you off work and drain your finances. Serious spinal injuries can lead to a lifetime of disability. Protect yourself by hiring a Board Certified Ohio Workers’ Compensation Specialist Attorney.
How Back and Neck Injuries Happen at Work
On-the-job back and neck injuries can happen anywhere, at any time — even in jobs that are not inherently dangerous. Common causes include:
- Slip and fall accidents at work
- Lifting, pushing, or pulling heavy objects
- Falling down stairs at the workplace
- Car accidents that occur while on the job
- Repetitive bending, twisting, stooping, or squatting
What Is a Low Back (Lumbar) or Cervical (Neck) Strain or Sprain?
Muscle strains and ligament sprains are the most common causes of spine pain from workplace accidents. A strain occurs when muscle fibers are abnormally stretched or torn. A sprain occurs when ligaments — the tough bands of tissue that hold bones together — are torn from their attachments.
Many doctors refer to both as “musculo-ligamentous injuries” of the lumbar or cervical spine. Treatment and prognosis for both are generally the same, and both are fully compensable under Ohio workers’ compensation law.
What Is a Herniated, Slipped, or Ruptured Disc?
Herniated or ruptured discs occur when the spongy discs between the vertebrae shift out of position. These injuries can occur at any level of the spine and may cause constant pain, numbness, and weakness — and many require surgery to relieve nerve impingement.
A disc injury can be especially devastating to workers in physically demanding jobs. After a serious injury, many employees are unable to return to their former position. Ohio workers’ compensation provides vocational rehabilitation, retraining, and wage loss benefits to help injured workers move forward.
Degenerative Disc Disease and Substantial Aggravation of Pre-Existing Conditions
Do you have a pre-existing back or neck condition? That does not disqualify you from benefits. Under current Ohio law, when a work injury causes a substantial aggravation of a pre-existing condition such as arthritis or degenerative disc disease, you have a right to file for workers’ compensation benefits.
To prove a substantial aggravation claim, the aggravation must be supported by objective medical evidence — not just your subjective complaints of increased pain. Evidence that may support a substantial aggravation claim includes:
- New or changed findings on MRI, X-ray, or other diagnostic imaging
- Clinical findings documented by a treating or examining physician
- Medical records showing a measurable worsening of the pre-existing condition following the work injury
- Physician opinions connecting the work incident to the aggravation
Don’t be fooled into thinking it’s just the natural aging process. Gruhin & Gruhin has successfully added substantial aggravation conditions to work comp claims for years. Whether your evidence meets the legal standard for substantial aggravation requires review by an experienced attorney — every case turns on its specific medical facts and circumstances.
Quadriplegia and Paraplegia
The most catastrophic spinal cord injuries can result in quadriplegia — paralysis of the limbs and torso, typically caused by injury to the C1–C7 vertebrae — or paraplegia, impairment of the lower extremities from injury to the lower spinal cord. Serious falls and on-the-job car accidents have been known to cause these permanent, life-altering conditions. Full workers’ compensation benefits are available for these injuries.
What About Injuries While Working From Home?
With remote work now commonplace in Ohio, many workers are surprised to learn that injuries sustained while working from home can be compensable — if they occurred in the “course and scope” of your employment. If you were lifting work equipment, sitting at your home workstation, or performing a work task when you injured your back or neck, you may have a valid claim.
To support a work-from-home injury claim, it helps to have:
- A clear description of exactly what work task you were performing at the time of injury
- Documentation of your remote work arrangement — such as an employer policy, email, or written agreement
- Medical records establishing the injury and its connection to the work activity
- Any witness statements or communications confirming you were working at the time
These cases can be more complex than traditional workplace injuries, which makes having an experienced Board Certified Ohio Workers’ Compensation Specialist Attorney even more critical.
Protect Your Rights — Contact a Board Certified Specialist Attorney
Each back or neck injury claim can be quite complex depending on the severity of the injury and how it occurred. Mike Gruhin is a Board Certified Ohio Workers’ Compensation Specialist Attorney, experienced in handling all types of back and neck injury cases — from herniated discs and degenerative disc injuries to broken backs, spinal cord injuries, and serious work trauma.
Don’t assume all attorneys are workers’ comp specialists. Ask the attorney you contact if he or she is Board Certified in Ohio Workers’ Compensation. If not, look elsewhere. Don’t wait — there are specific time limits.
Read Mike’s free guide: The Officially Unofficial Injured Worker’s Guide to Ohio Workers’ Compensation — no cost, no obligation.
Ready to fight back? You don’t have to figure this out alone.
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If you or someone you know has been injured at work and is struggling to move forward, you may have more legal options than you realize.
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⚖️ Mike Gruhin — OSBA Board Certified Ohio Workers’ Compensation Specialist Attorney
(Certified 1999–2030).
Board Certification means exceptional competence, experience, and professionalism in workers’ comp law — recognized by the Ohio State Bar Association.
Mike Gruhin and Gruhin & Gruhin, LLC — Fighting for injured workers across Ohio.
DISCLAIMER: By accessing any website page or website post, the reader agrees that (1) general info, not legal advice; (2) no attorney-client relationship; (3) each claim is unique and must be evaluated on its facts under current Ohio law; (4) requires advice from an experienced Ohio Workers’ Compensation Attorney.