As a letter carrier, you are on your feet all day, pounding the pavement in order to deliver letters and packages along your route. This is a part of the job and something one can expect going into a career with the postal service. That being said, injuries that involve the sole of the foot can be debilitating since they may be so severe that surgery, and subsequent rest may be needed as well as application for injured postal worker compensation to cover schedule award for injured federal workers.
Are you a letter carrier who’s suffered plantar fasciitis and are wondering if this is a compensable injury under federal workers’ compensation for postal workers? This is a progressive condition that may require surgery and a period of rest and time off work, or if possible, light duty in order for your leg to fully heal. Postal worker compensation requires robust evidence, and your medical report carries the most weight. Don’t try applying for injured postal worker compensation on your own – let us put our two decades’ worth of experience to work for you: call us TODAY at 1-855-233-3002 to speak with an injured postal worker attorney to learn more about your legal options for compensation as mandated by OWCP.
Plantar Fasciitis in Postal Workers
The plantar fascia refers to fibrous tissue found at the soles of the feet, stretching from the heel bone all the way to the ball of your foot. Plantar fasciitis essentially refers to the inflammation of this tissue around your sole or heel. It is usually aggravated by age and obesity, but certain professions such as postal workers may put individuals more at risk of developing in. while plantar fasciitis will likely not disable you, it may require invasive surgery, and you may never fully heal for the rest of your life.
Plantar Fasciitis in Letter Carriers – Predisposing Factors
Plantar fasciitis usually manifests from age 40 and above, and more women than men are diagnosed with it. There may be some type of tissue calcification within the injury, as well as acute, stabbing pain when walking for long periods of time. Plantar fasciitis is usually felt in the morning when one gets out of bed after a night of rest. Many postal workers with plantar fasciitis may remark that they feel much better after resting their feet or when wearing shoes with special padding.
OWCP Compensation for Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis is not technically a compensable injury. However, if your work duties aggravated your preexisting foot pain, you may be able to apply for and receive injured letter carrier compensation. Doing this would require that you prove the presence of the condition, and point out objectively in your medical report how work duties aggravated your PF. Just to reiterate, you may not receive OWCP postal worker injury benefits just because you are suffering from plantar fasciitis: there must be extraneous or unusual circumstances that caused the worsening of your foot pain such as walking uphill on your designated route every day, walking unusually great distances because you have to park your vehicle on a street with no access, or walking on rural roads that don’t have concrete paving.
Best Injured Letter Carrier Attorneys – Call Us Today!
Confused and don’t know where to start? For more information on heel pain and compensation for injured postal workers, simply call us at 1-855-233-3002 to receive your FREE legal advice on how to file an injured letter carrier compensation claim that suffered the aggravation or development of plantar fasciitis on the job. Thanks, and we look forward to hearing from you.