Work-Related Shoulder Injuries in California: Know Your Rights
Shoulder injuries can be devastating. They don’t just affect your ability to work—they impact everything from brushing your teeth to lifting groceries or playing with your kids. At Lee Partners Law, we’re experts in California Workers’ Compensation cases and have helped injured workers get the maximum medical care, benefits, and compensation they deserve.
In this article, we’ll break down the most common types of occupational shoulder injuries, explain how they happen across different jobs, and walk you through what to expect if you file a Workers’ Comp case in California.
Common Work-Related Shoulder Injuries
Work duties that involve lifting, pushing, pulling, or repetitive arm movements often lead to:
Rotator cuff tears – Common in jobs requiring overhead lifting or forceful movements (e.g., warehouse workers).
Tendinitis – Results from repetitive motion like painting, loading, or using power tools.
Shoulder impingement – Caused by repetitive overhead work or awkward arm positions.
Frozen shoulder – Can develop after a traumatic injury or prolonged immobilization.
Bursitis – Often seen in physically demanding roles with repeated lifting.
Shoulder fractures – From falls or direct trauma, especially in construction or roofing.
Shoulder instability – Common in workers with frequent lifting, throwing, or awkward twisting.
Labral tears & arthritis – Develop from both specific trauma and wear-and-tear over time.
Who’s Most at Risk?
Shoulder injuries often affect workers in:
Construction
Warehouse & factory jobs
Painters & drywallers
Assembly line workers
Healthcare aides
Delivery drivers
These occupations require frequent lifting, pushing, repetitive motion, and overhead activity—all major contributors to shoulder damage.
Types of Work-Related Shoulder Injuries: Specific vs. Cumulative
Shoulder injuries may result from:
✅ Specific Injuries
Example: You lift a heavy box and feel immediate pain in your shoulder. Or you fall off a ladder and fracture your shoulder.
✅ Cumulative Trauma
More common than people realize. Repetitive job duties like loading packages, fixing machinery, or painting ceilings gradually wear down the shoulder joint, leading to tendinitis, impingement, or rotator cuff tears over time.
Both types are valid and compensable under California Workers’ Comp law.
Why You Should File a Claim Now
Under California law, once you file a Workers’ Comp claim for a shoulder injury, the insurance company has 90 days to accept or deny the claim.
➡️ Labor Code §5402(c) gives you up to $10,000 in medical care while they investigate.
➡️ Within weeks, you’ll have the right to a Qualified Medical Evaluator (QME) in the orthopedic specialty to give a neutral medical opinion.
At Lee Partners Law, we are highly skilled at navigating QME evaluations and ensuring your exam accurately reflects your shoulder injury and its impact.
Workers’ Compensation Benefits for a Shoulder Injury
If your claim is accepted, you're entitled to:
Medical Care – All treatment reasonably required to cure or relieve your shoulder injury (Labor Code §4600). (Surgeries, Physical Therapy, Medication, and all forms of treatment)
Temporary Disability Benefits (TTD) – Weekly payments if your doctor says you can’t work or your employer can’t accommodate your restrictions.
Permanent Disability (PD) – Based on your level of lasting impairment after recovery, rated using Chapter 16 of the AMA Guides.
Supplemental Job Displacement Voucher – If you can’t return to your usual work and have a permanent disability.
How Is My Shoulder Injury Rated?
Shoulder injuries are rated under Chapter 16 of the AMA Guides to Permanent Impairment, which evaluates:
Grip loss
Range of motion loss
Sensory or motor deficits
Diagnostic-based impairments (e.g., imaging showing impingement, tears)
There are multiple methods for rating, and most attorneys—and even doctors—miss some. At Lee Partners Law, we push for all applicable impairments to be properly combined, maximizing your final disability rating and compensation. We are experts at cross-examination the QMES and maximizing your impairment.
Compensable Consequence Injuries
Let’s say you injure your right shoulder and start overusing your left arm to compensate—eventually injuring it too. That secondary left shoulder injury is also covered under Workers’ Comp as a compensable consequence of the original injury. Many firms miss this. We don’t.
What About a Shoulder Injury Workers’ Comp Settlement?
If you suffered a serious shoulder injury at work — whether it required surgery, physical therapy, or left you with lasting pain or limited mobility — you may be entitled to a workers’ compensation settlement.
Your settlement depends on:
Your level of permanent disability, as determined by a QME or treating physician
The impact of your injury on your ability to work
Whether you need future medical treatment
How well your claim is documented and rated using Chapter 16 of the AMA Guides
At Lee Partners Law, we don’t just settle quickly — we build the strongest case possible and fight to ensure every aspect of your injury is considered. We push for the highest possible impairment rating using multiple methods (range of motion, diagnostic imaging, sensory loss, and more) so your final settlement reflects the true value of your injury.
We guide you every step of the way — from filing your claim to reviewing your QME report to negotiating your final resolution.
Why Choose Lee Partners Law?
We’re not just familiar with shoulder injuries—we specialize in them. Attorneys David Lee and Michael Lee have decades of combined experience and know exactly how to navigate California Workers’ Compensation law, QME evaluations, and the AMA Guides.
If you’re in Los Angeles, Pomona, Inland Empire, Riverside, San Bernardino, Fresno, Modesto, or Bakersfield, reach out today. We offer free consultations and work on contingency—you pay nothing unless we win.
CONTACT TODAY US TODAY TEXT OR CALL FREE CONSULATATION (310)2095-0822.