Do you work in an office and spend almost your entire day typing on your laptop? Maybe, you are working the assembly line, putting pieces together for a complicated machine. Suddenly, you begin to feel tingling or numbness in your hands. Or perhaps, you’re experiencing a searing discomfort in your arm. You ask yourself if the pain is temporary? Something you may not have thought of is that it could be early signs of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, an ailment that is often associated with employment-related injury. However, it can also be triggered by other types of accidents.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) affects as many as six percent of adults in America, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. While that may seem like a tiny number, it means that CTS is diagnosed in around 15 million individuals. When it comes to CTS, there’s almost nothing you may not know about this ailment, including how to handle it legally if you are considering a claim at your job.
What exactly is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) says that carpal tunnel syndrome develops when the median nerve, which travels from the forearm into the palm of the hand, is pinched or constricted at the wrist. This nerve is what controls the movement of your thumb and first three fingers of your hand. When you move these fingers constantly, over long durations of time, the tunnel where the nerve is will become more narrow, which will cause nerve discomfort. Unfortunately, CTS can be very painful, and it will usually become progressively worse as time goes on.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: What Causes It?
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome may be brought on by a number of things, such as illness and even pregnancy. Repetitive motion or other trauma, on the other hand, are the most prevalent causes.
When you do the same movements with your wrists or hands for long periods of time, this is known as repetitive motion. Repetitive movements with your hands or wrist may occur in a variety of activities, including a number of occupations. These are some of them:
– typing
– working on an assembly line
– playing a guitar, piano or another musical instrument
– a seamstress
– mechanic
– painting
– farmers
– cashier
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome may also arise when you suffer a severe wrist injury or another related trauma. CTS symptoms may be caused by an automobile accident, a slip and fall, or a work-related injury that results in broken bones. A sprain of the wrist might result in a similar injury that develops into CTS.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: What Are the Signs and Symptoms?
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome symptoms can differ from one person to another. It depends mostly on the actual activities that triggered the disease. However, the following are the most prevalent signs you watch for:
– tingling, numbness, or burning feeling in your thumbs or first three fingers
– Loss of dexterity in those same fingers
– hand, arm, and shoulder discomfort or pain
– noticeable weakness in your grip or inability to squeeze
Filing a Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Legal Claim
If you’ve been diagnosed with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, you may have a legal claim on your hands, which means you could be compensated for your injuries and losses stemming from the injury. You could remember that not all CTS injuries justify a legal claim. And, regardless of the kind of claim you file, its success falls on your ability to prove the source of the ailment.
Claims for Workers’ Compensation. If your job involves repetitive motion or tasks, and you developed CTS symptoms, you may be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. This is especially true if you notice symptoms after leaving a certain job. You should always remember that injuries from repetitive motion might develop over months or years, so you may not feel pain until after you’ve left your job.
CTS is a compensable medical ailment in most states’ workers’ compensation programs. You may be eligible to recover your medical bills and lost income, as well as compensation for the degree of the impairment. However, this all depends on the type of accident and the state in which you reside.
Personal Injury Claims arise by those who have been injured by anything other than your employment. This type of claim could be from a car accident or another similar incident, where you may still be entitled to file a lawsuit. It is not unusual for drivers engaged in vehicle accidents to have traumatic wrist injuries as a result of collision while clutching the steering wheel, for example. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome may develop as a result of certain wrist traumas. This is when you can enlist a pi lawyer to go over your options and plan the best course of action.
Disability benefits from the Social Security Administration. If you are suffering symptoms of CTS, you may be able to pursue a legal claim via Social Security Disability Benefits in addition to a workers’ compensation claim or a personal claim originating from an incident such as a car accident. Find out more about applying for disability payments via Social Security.
