Degenerative Knees & Hips From Years of Labor: What California Workers Need to Know

Understanding Wear and Tear: From the Football Field to the Jobsite

I played football at USC and in the NFL. I know what long-term physical work does to your body — not because I read it in a book, but because I lived it. Years of hitting, lifting, pushing, and grinding take a toll on your knees, hips, back, and shoulders.

But here’s the truth most workers never hear:

The same kind of wear and tear that ends football careers is happening every day to construction workers, warehouse workers, mechanics, janitors, roofers, machine operators, and anyone doing physical labor for years.

And in California, this is considered a work injury.

It’s Not “Old Age.” It’s Years of Hard Work.

Most workers think degenerative knees or hips are just the result of getting older.

But medically and legally, that’s not the whole story.

Many long-term laborers develop:

  • Degenerative knee conditions

  • Hip deterioration

  • Chronic inflammation

  • Meniscus tears

  • Bone-on-bone grinding

  • Early arthritis

  • Limited mobility

  • Difficulty getting up, kneeling, lifting, or climbing

These conditions are often caused — or made significantly worse — by years of repetitive strain, lifting, climbing, kneeling, squatting, and heavy physical work.

Under California workers’ compensation law, that’s called a cumulative trauma injury.

What Is a Cumulative Trauma Injury?

A cumulative trauma (CT) injury is damage caused by repetitive stress over time, not one single accident.

If your knees or hips have steadily gotten worse as you’ve continued working, you may have a compensable work injury even if you can’t point to one specific moment.

California law recognizes this.

Insurance companies rarely tell workers this.

What Benefits Can You Receive?

If your degeneration is work-related, you may be entitled to:

  • Free medical treatment

  • Knee or hip MRIs, physical therapy, injections, or surgery

  • Mileage reimbursement for medical visits

  • Temporary disability benefits (lost wages)

  • Permanent disability compensation

  • Job protection rights in certain cases

You’ve given your job years — often decades — of physical labor.

You deserve the medical care and support you’ve earned under the law.

How We Help Workers With Degenerative Knee & Hip Injuries

My brother and I are the third generation running our family’s firm here in Santa Ana. We’ve represented injured workers across Orange County for decades.

What makes us different is simple:

  • We understand physical wear and tear — on the field and on the job

  • We explain things in plain English

  • We don’t rush people — we listen

  • We know how to prove CT knee and hip injuries

  • We fight insurance companies that try to blame everything on “age”

If your knees or hips have gotten worse over the years and you think it’s just part of getting older, we should talk.

Free Consultation — Let’s Talk About Your Knee or Hip Pain

Whether you’re a construction worker, warehouse worker, mechanic, roofer, janitor, or long-time laborer — your knee and hip degeneration may be work-related under California law.

Call us for a free consultation.

No pressure. No obligation.

Just honest advice from people who understand what hard work does to your body.