What Is a Gillette Injury?

Work-related injuries aren’t always tied to a fall, a crash, or a single day on the job. Some injuries build slowly, the result of daily strain on your joints, muscles, or spine. Over time, that strain can lead to serious medical problems, and Minnesota law has a name for it: a Gillette injury.

Keep reading to learn what is a Gillette injury, how it fits into workers’ compensation claims, and what steps to take if your body has been worn down by your work.

If you’d like to discuss your case or have questions about a work-related injury that’s been denied or delayed, contact us today for a free case review with one of our experienced workers’ compensation attorneys. Call (612) 339-9121 or reach out online to get started.

Understanding the Gillette Injury Definition

A Gillette injury refers to damage caused by repetitive stress or minor trauma that occurs gradually during employment. Unlike injuries from a single, identifiable incident, Gillette injuries don’t have a clear start date. The pain and damage build slowly, often unnoticed until the symptoms start to interfere with your ability to work.

The term originates from a 1960 Minnesota Supreme Court case, Gillette v. Harold, Inc., which established a precedent for treating repetitive injuries under state workers’ compensation law. In that case, the employee developed a disabling back condition after years of performing physically demanding work. There was no single accident or traumatic event—only a gradual worsening of symptoms tied to the ongoing strain of his job.

The court ruled that an injury doesn’t need to stem from a sudden incident to qualify for benefits. Instead, it recognized that repeated stress over time could produce the same kind of harm as an acute injury. That ruling established the legal standard for what is now called a Gillette injury.

Since then, this legal definition has helped thousands of Minnesota workers receive compensation for conditions resulting from repetitive movements, overuse, or prolonged physical strain. It remains one of the most important decisions in Minnesota workers’ compensation history.

What Causes a Gillette Injury?

Most Gillette injuries involve physical motions repeated day after day. These can include:

• Lifting or carrying heavy items;
• Frequent bending, kneeling, or squatting;
• Working on an assembly line;
• Using power tools or vibrating equipment;
• Typing or data entry in positions without ergonomic support; and
• Driving long hours with little movement.

As the strain builds through regular tasks, joints, ligaments, and soft tissue can start to break down. Many workers continue to do their job despite early symptoms, unaware that the damage is worsening. Others avoid reporting it out of fear of missing work, only to reach a breaking point where continuing is no longer possible.

Common Types of Gillette Injuries

While any repetitive activity can lead to this type of injury, some of the most common diagnoses include:

• Carpal tunnel syndrome—often affects workers who perform repetitive hand movements, such as typing, scanning, or gripping tools.
• Tendonitis and bursitis—common in the shoulders, elbows, knees, and wrists. These conditions involve inflammation caused by overuse.
• Lower back injuries—repeated lifting or twisting can lead to disc problems or chronic back pain that gradually limits mobility.
• Rotator cuff tears—these shoulder injuries affect workers in construction, warehouse jobs, or nursing, where arms are often raised or extended.
• Knee degeneration—prolonged squatting or climbing can wear down cartilage, leading to pain, swelling, and instability.

Each of these injuries can be linked to the demands of your job, even if the pain didn’t begin on a single day. For example, a nursing assistant who regularly lifts and turns patients may begin to feel soreness in her shoulders. What started as mild discomfort becomes sharper and more persistent. She may not remember any single event that caused it, but imaging later shows a rotator cuff tear consistent with cumulative trauma.

Aches that don’t go away. Pain that flares up during certain tasks. Stiffness that makes the workday harder. These could all point to a Gillette injury—a condition tied to repetitive strain and recognized under Minnesota workers’ compensation law.

If your claim has been denied or delayed, call Meshbesher & Spence at (612) 339-9121 or contact us online. We help injured workers fight back when insurance companies question the cause or seriousness of a job-related injury.

Gillette Injury vs. Other Work Injuries

A Gillette injury differs from more traditional workers’ compensation cases in how the injury occurs and how it must be proven. With a fall or machinery accident, there is typically a witness, an incident report, and immediate symptoms. A Gillette injury often lacks these.

That doesn’t make it any less valid under Minnesota workers’ compensation law. However, it does mean that the process of proving your claim requires more documentation and a closer examination of your medical history, job duties, and the progression of your condition.

Take a warehouse worker who doesn’t report any problems until he starts noticing pain in his lower back after every shift. The pain wasn’t there six months ago. Now it’s constant, and tests show a bulging disc likely caused by years of bending and lifting. Even without a single fall or accident, this qualifies as a work-related injury under the Gillette standard.

A Gillette injury workers’ compensation claim may be challenged by insurers who argue that the injury was pre-existing, happened outside of work, or isn’t work-related at all. To respond, your lawyer must present a clear timeline, supported by medical records and credible testimony about the demands of your job.

What Should You Do If You Suspect a Gillette Injury?

Recognizing what is a Gillette injury often starts with identifying a pattern. Maybe the pain worsens at work and eases during time off. Perhaps your doctor inquires about your job after noticing inflammation or damage that doesn’t align with your lifestyle outside of work.

Once you suspect your injury may be job-related, take these steps:

• Report the injury to your employer. Even if there was no single incident, you can still file a report. The date of injury for a Gillette claim is typically when you first needed medical treatment or missed work due to symptoms.
• Seek medical care. Explain your job duties in detail so that your provider understands the potential connection. A strong medical opinion is essential in these cases.
• Document everything. Keep notes about when symptoms started, how they affect your work, and what treatments you’ve received.
• Contact a workers’ compensation attorney. Proving a Gillette injury requires more than just showing you were hurt. It means building a detailed case that ties your injury to your job, often in the face of skepticism or pushback from insurers.

The Support You Need in a Gillette Injury Claim

These cases often depend on subtle but important distinctions—how the law defines injury, what kind of medical evidence is needed, and how work exposure is measured. Without strong legal representation, your claim may be denied based on a misunderstanding or lack of detail.

For over 60 years, Meshbesher & Spence has handled complex workers’ compensation claims for Minnesotans across a wide range of industries. We understand how demanding physical labor, repetitive tasks, or even long-term desk work can wear down the body. And we know how to present those facts in a way that supports your right to compensation.

Whether your symptoms began years into your career or during a recent job, our legal team can step in to protect your interests.

Contact Meshbesher & Spence About a Gillette Injury Workers’ Compensation Claim

Work shouldn’t leave you with permanent pain, and your injury shouldn’t be ignored just because it didn’t happen all at once. A Gillette injury may take time to appear, but its effects can be just as serious as any workplace accident.

If you believe your job has caused a repetitive strain injury, we’re ready to help. At Meshbesher & Spence, we can evaluate your claim, work with your medical team, and advocate for full benefits through Minnesota’s workers’ compensation system.

Call (612) 339-9121 or contact us online to schedule a free case review with a workers’ compensation attorney today.