Jm. Solomon, Fulfilling the bargain: How the science of ergonomics can inform the laws of workers' compensation, COLUMB LAW, 101(5), 2001, pp. 1140-1180
In the last decade, cumulative trauma disorders have become a significant p
ercentage of reported workplace injuries and litigated workers' compensatio
n claims. Arising from the accumulated impact of daily work activities on t
he body, these injuries do not fall neatly within either the "accident" or
"disease" categories which comprise workers' compensation laws. As a result
, courts and legislatures have struggled to properly evaluate workers' comp
ensation claims for these injuries. This Note looks at the legal treatment
of cumulative trauma injuries in light of the "original bargain" of workers
' compensation, where workers give up a tort remedy against their employers
in exchange for guaranteed, but limited; compensation for work-related inj
uries. In doing so, this Note undertakes a comprehensive comparison of liti
gated cumulative trauma cases in the tort and workers' compensation systems
. Ultimately, this Note argues that judges must use the original bargain as
an interpretative lens when deciding cumulative trauma cases, and points t
o ergonomics-the science of the workplace-as a significant new tool for det
ermining whether such injuries are work-related.