Carpal Tunnel Syndrome – Can I File a Claim for it? – Recurrent job duties can take a toll on your health and may be a cause for severe physical conditions. One such condition is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. In this condition, you suddenly feel a tingling sensation in your arms or hands while you type at work or while doing a physical activity at an assembly line.
What is CTS?
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a condition wherein your median nerve, which passes along the forearm into your palm, gets squeezed or pressed at the wrist due to the pressure caused by repetitive activity. This is a painful condition and is progressive, which means that it worsens with time.
According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, an estimated 3-6 percent of the U.S. adult population suffers from CTS.
Causes of CTS
A number of factors can cause CTS, which includes pregnancy and disease as well. However, the most common cause of the condition is trauma and repetitive motion. Recurrent or repetitive motion implies the repeated movements of the hand or wrist while performing the same activity for extended periods of time. These activities may include but are not restricted to jobs like:
- Assembly line jobs
- Data entry or typing
- Sewing
- Mechanical work
- Cashier
- Locksmith
- Farming
- Playing musical instruments
- Painting
- Other jobs that demand continuous use of tools and repetitive hand movement.
Injury or trauma that affects the wrist can also cause CTS. This may occur during an accident at the workplace that may lead to fractures or sprains at the wrist.
Legal Claims for CTS
If you are currently suffering from CTS or have been diagnosed with it, you can make a legal claim for it and get compensated for your condition. However, not every CTS diagnosis will enable a valid claim and regardless of the kind of claim you file, the failure or success of the case will depend on the determination of the reason that led to the condition in the first place.
Workers’ Compensation
If your job tasks include activities that require repetitive hand motion and you have been diagnosed with CTS, you can file for a workers’ compensation claim. As the condition takes months and years to develop, the symptoms may not be visible until after you have left the job. However, an expert workers’ comp attorney will be able to help you in this regard and get you compensated for your condition.
Personal Injury
If the cause of your CTS is not work related, you can still file for a claim under personal injury law. It is common to develop CTS after traumatic car accidents as the wrist can get severely damaged or sprained in such events.
If you have been diagnosed with CTS, contact a legal advisor at Keys Law Offices today, to help you file your claim and get fair compensation for your loss.