California Injury Lawyers Fight For Those Suffering Bursitis In Sacramento and San Bernadino Counties

Representing victims of work-related and accident-related joint injuries

A flareup of bursitis is a painful, debilitating experience that requires an immediate cessation of activity and medical treatment. Depending on the cause of your bursitis, you might be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits or legal damages. At Mastagni Holstedt, APC, our Sacramento personal injury attorneys can investigate your circumstances, explain your rights and help you pursue appropriate compensation.

Understanding the agony of bursitis

Bursitis is the inflammation of the bursae: the liquid-filled sacks of tissue that act as cushions in the body’s major joints. Bursitis is categorized by the joints in which it occurs, as follows:

• Shoulders — Subacromial bursitis
• Elbows — Olecranon bursitis, sometimes called miner’s elbow or barfly’s elbow
• Knees — Prepatellar bursitis, also known as housemaid’s knee
• Feet — Most often near the heel, big toe or the ball of the foot
• Hips — Iliopectineal or trochanteric bursitis
• Buttocks — Ischial bursitis or weaver’s bottom

The symptoms of bursitis include:

• Pain, made worse by movement
• Swelling
• Loss of motion

If infection has caused the bursitis, a patient might also experience chills and fever.

Common causes of bursitis 

The most common cause of bursitis is repetitive stress and overstrained joints. For this reason, bursitis is a frequently occurring work-related injury in many professions, such as:

• Construction — Affecting carpenters, painters, tilers and workers laying floors.
• Assembly line workers and machinists
• Landscapers
• Roadworkers

Workplace accidents and equipment injuries can often exacerbate a latent condition, causing inflammation of the bursae. 

Other activities that can provoke bursitis include scrubbing, shoveling, sports like tennis, golf and baseball and playing a musical instrument.

Direct trauma from an auto accident, slip and fall or other event can also cause bursitis.

Septic bursitis is caused by a bacterial infection.

Treatments for bursitis

Immediate treatment can shorten the duration of a bursitis incident. Treatments can include:

• RICE — Rest, ice, compression and elevation
• Medication — Anti-inflammatories and analgesics, such as ibuprofen or aspirin
• Steroidal injection — Drugs that reduce pain and swelling
• Splints or braces — Restricting movement to reduce irritation 

In cases of septic bursitis, treatments might include antibiotics, lancing the bursa to drain fluid or a bursectomy (surgical removal).

How an injury lawyer can help

An experienced personal injury lawyer can evaluate the circumstances of your bursitis to determine whether you have grounds for a lawsuit. If your bursitis flared up after an accident, such as a car crash, an attorney may be able to establish a causal link so that you can claim damages against the party who caused the accident. In addition, an attorney can:

• Calculate economic and noneconomic losses due to the injury
• Negotiate with an insurance company to reach a fair settlement
• Take your case to trial if an adequate settlement cannot be reached

If your bursitis is work-related, you are eligible for workers’ compensation, including medical treatment and partial wage replacement for missed work. Our legal team also handles workers’ comp claims, so if your employer denies any benefits, we can aggressively pursue an appeal on your behalf.

Contact our bursitis injury lawyers for a free consultation

Mastagni Holstedt, APC represents clients with bursitis injuries in personal injury actions and workers’ compensation cases throughout California. We have offices in Sacramento, Rancho Cucamonga, Pleasanton and Redwood City. Call us at or contact us online to schedule a free consultation.