Which term describes an injury that results from a single incident or exposure?

• A. Specific Injury
• B. Progressive Injury
• C. Recurrent Injury
• D. Occupational Disease

Answer: (A)

In workers’ compensation terminology, injuries are categorized by how they occur. A specific injury describes damage that happens from one event or one exposure. This is different from injuries that develop over time from repeated or prolonged exposure (progressive injuries), injuries that recur after initial healing (recurrent injuries), or diseases caused by work conditions over a period (occupational diseases). For example, a sprain from a fall is a specific injury because it results from a single incident. In contrast, repetitive strain from years of keyboard use is progressive, a reinjury after recovering would be recurrent, and hearing loss from ongoing loud noise exposure would be an occupational disease. Therefore, the term that fits an injury caused by a single incident or exposure is a specific injury.