Every state except Texas requires workers’ compensation insurance. Because it is offered so widely throughout the U.S., a great many people have taken advantage of this kind of assistance. In fact, in 2020, the insurance industry estimated that workers’ comp covered over 135 million employees. This type of insurance was created to protect both employers and employees. When an employee suffers an on-the-job injury or occupational disease, workers’ comp guarantees medical and partial wage benefits. In exchange, the law bans workers from suing their employers for most job-related harm.
Workers’ Comp Carpal Tunnel Coverage
Repetitive stress disorders like carpal tunnel can qualify as an occupational disease covered by workers’ comp. Carpal tunnel happens when the tissues in your wrist compress the median nerve. This nerve carries touch sensations from your hand and fingers to your brain. It also brings control signals from your brain to your thumb and fingers.
Swollen tissues in your wrist can compress the median nerve. This swelling can result from trauma, such as a broken or sprained wrist. However, the most common cause of swelling in your wrist tissues is overuse.
When you perform repetitive hand or finger motions, the tendons and ligaments in your wrist can swell. In turn, this swelling can compress the median nerve and produce carpal tunnel symptoms.
Overuse can happen during recreational activities like tennis and golf. However, it can also occur at work when you repeat finger, wrist, or thumb motions for hours on end. Some work activities that can cause wrist inflammation include:
- Typing
- Hammering
- Turning a screwdriver
- Cutting
Compression causes the median nerve to misfire. The resulting symptoms might include:
- Pain in the fingers, thumb, hand, or wrist
- Numbness
- Weakness
- Tingling, burning, or buzzing sensation
These symptoms can affect you so severely that you become unable to work.
Also Read: What Happens If You Don’t Have Workers’ Compensation Insurance?
Workers’ Comp Carpal Tunnel Benefits
You can seek workers’ compensation benefits if your job caused or worsened your carpal tunnel. To do this, you may need:
- Medical evidence, including your doctor’s file
- Expert testimony
- Witness testimony from you and your co-workers
Once you prove a causal relationship between your job duties and your injury, you can claim workers’ comp carpal tunnel benefits. Workers’ comp pays for all reasonable and necessary treatment and therapy for your condition. If your carpal tunnel has disabled you from working, you may also be entitled to claim wage benefits.
Also Read: When Should I Call a Workers’ Comp Attorney?
How a Workers’ Comp Attorney Can Help
Workers’ compensation insurers do not always act in workers’ best interests. If the insurer has any questions about your claim, they will deny it. The risk of denial is especially high with repetitive stress injuries because the insurer can always question the causal link.
A lawyer can keep the focus on your job activities so you can get the workers’ comp carpal tunnel benefits you deserve. Contact The Joel Bieber Firm for a free consultation to discuss your carpal tunnel injury and your workers’ compensation claim.
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