What is a Repetitive Strain Injury (Gillette Injury)?
A repetitive strain injury occurs when repeated physical movements damage muscles, nerves, tendons, or other soft tissues over time. Under Minnesota law, you do not need to point to a specific accident on a specific day to have a valid claim. If your daily work activities were a substantial contributing factor to the development, aggravation, or acceleration of your condition, you are eligible for workers’ compensation benefits.
Common examples of work-related repetitive strain injuries include:
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Often affecting office workers, assembly line workers, and those who perform frequent typing or grasping motions.
- Rotator Cuff Tears and Shoulder Strain: Common among construction workers, painters, and employees whose jobs require frequent overhead lifting or reaching.
- Epicondylitis (Tennis or Golfer’s Elbow): Frequently seen in manufacturing, plumbing, and mechanical trades due to repetitive wrist and arm movements.
- Chronic Back and Neck Pain: Often developed by healthcare workers, warehouse employees, and drivers due to continuous lifting, bending, or sitting in awkward postures.
Even if you had a pre-existing condition, you may still be covered if your work activities significantly worsened or accelerated the injury.
What Benefits Are Available for RSIs in Minnesota?
If your repetitive strain injury is work-related, you may be entitled to several types of workers’ compensation benefits:
Medical Benefits: Workers’ compensation covers all reasonable and necessary medical treatment related to your injury. This includes doctor visits, physical therapy, prescription medications, and surgery if required.
Wage-Loss Benefits: If your doctor restricts your work activities and your employer cannot accommodate those restrictions, or if you are completely unable to work while recovering, you can receive wage-loss benefits. These are generally calculated at two-thirds of your average weekly wage at the time your injury culminated in a disability. For injuries occurring on or after October 1, 2025, the maximum weekly benefit is $1,536.84.
Permanent Partial Disability (PPD): If your repetitive strain injury results in a permanent loss of function—such as a permanent reduction in your range of motion or chronic nerve damage—you may be entitled to a PPD award. In Minnesota, PPD ratings are assigned as a percentage of disability to the whole body. The total percentage rating is multiplied by a specific statutory dollar amount to determine your benefit.
Vocational Rehabilitation: If your injury prevents you from returning to your previous job, you may be eligible for vocational rehabilitation services to help you find suitable new employment.
The Challenge of Proving a Repetitive Strain Claim
While Minnesota law clearly covers RSIs, these claims are frequently denied by workers’ compensation insurance companies. Insurers often argue that the injury is a result of the natural aging process, a pre-existing condition, or hobbies outside of work.
Because there is no single “date of injury” for a gradual condition, determining the exact date your injury became legally compensable—often the date you were first disabled from work or required medical treatment—can be legally complex. This date is critical because it determines which employer and insurer are responsible for your claim and sets the compensation rate for your wage-loss benefits.
To build a strong claim, it is essential to report your symptoms to your employer as soon as you believe they are work-related, seek prompt medical attention, and clearly explain to your doctor exactly what your daily work duties involve.
How Patterson Dahlberg Can Help
Navigating a denied workers’ compensation claim for a repetitive strain injury can be frustrating and overwhelming. The experienced workers’ compensation attorneys at Patterson Dahlberg Injury Lawyers understand the specific medical and legal evidence required to prove a Gillette injury in Minnesota.
If you are suffering from a work-related repetitive strain injury in Rochester or the surrounding areas, contact us today for a free consultation. We will review your case, explain your rights, and fight to secure the medical care and financial support you need to recover.