Carpal Tunnel from Work: PA Compensation Explained
KBG Injury Law’s workers’ compensation lawyers in Pennsylvania represent clients who have suffered occupational injuries, including carpal tunnel. In this article, we explain these claims and discuss how you could get coverage for medical treatment and lost wages.
Do you qualify for workers’ compensation for carpal tunnel?
Nearly every employee in Pennsylvania is covered by workers’ compensation insurance through an employer. Carpal tunnel syndrome can qualify as a compensable work injury in Pennsylvania when it is caused or aggravated by a worker’s job duties. To recover benefits, you will need to establish the connection between your condition and the work you performed.
Most employers are required by law to carry workers’ compensation coverage that provides medical and wage-replacement benefits. Medical benefits generally cover reasonable and necessary healthcare related to the work injury, including surgery and therapy. Wage-loss benefits are generally about two-thirds of your average weekly wage, subject to statutory limits and adjustments, and may be reduced if you are able to return to work at lower earnings while you recover.
Why carpal tunnel claims can be challenging
If you fall off a ladder at work and break your arm, the connection between the accident and the injury may be relatively straightforward. Carpal tunnel syndrome, however, often develops gradually over time. Because there may be no single identifiable accident, insurance companies frequently dispute whether repetitive job duties caused or aggravated the condition.
That does not make a repetitive-stress injury any less legitimate. Carpal tunnel can require significant medical treatment and can interfere with your ability to perform your job. If your condition is related to your work, you have the right to pursue workers’ compensation benefits.
At KBG Injury Law, we know an injury doesn’t have to be catastrophic to cause expensive medical bills or time off work. You know how your injury affects you, and we can help you seek the compensation you deserve.
How can you prove your carpal tunnel claim?
Workers’ compensation is no-fault insurance. This means you do not have to show that someone else caused your injury through their negligence. You will need to prove that:
Your condition was caused or aggravated by your work
The connection between your condition and your job is the cornerstone of a carpal tunnel workers’ compensation claim. Because repetitive-stress injuries often develop over time rather than from a single workplace accident, establishing that connection can be more complicated.
Evidence about the repetitive tasks you perform, how often you perform them, and how long you have performed them can be important. When the relationship between your condition and your work is not obvious, competent medical evidence is generally necessary to establish that your job duties caused or aggravated your carpal tunnel syndrome.
Your injury requires medical treatment
Your employer’s insurance company generally must pay for reasonable and necessary treatment related to your work injury. In Pennsylvania, you may be required to treat with a provider from your employer’s list of designated healthcare providers for the first 90 days if the employer has properly established the list and provided the notices required by law. You may switch among designated providers during that period and generally choose your own provider afterward.
If you disagree with the opinion of a designated provider, you may be able to seek treatment from another provider on the employer’s list during the first 90 days. After the applicable 90-day period, you generally may choose your own healthcare provider.
Your injury causes a loss of earnings
Wage-loss benefits are payable when a work injury causes a loss of earning power. Depending on the circumstances, medical evidence, wage records, and testimony about your ability to work may be important in establishing entitlement to benefits.
Workers’ compensation claim timelines
Pennsylvania workers’ compensation law generally requires an employee to give the employer notice of a work injury within 120 days. Determining when that period begins can be more complicated with carpal tunnel and other repetitive-stress conditions because they may develop gradually rather than on a single identifiable date. An attorney can evaluate when the notice and filing deadlines apply to the facts of your particular claim.
Frequently asked questions about carpal tunnel syndrome
Learn more about carpal tunnel syndrome with answers to these FAQs:
Who is most at risk for carpal tunnel?
Workplace risk factors for carpal tunnel syndrome include:
- Tasks that require the forceful use of your hands and arms
- Repetitive tasks that require you to make the same hand and wrist motions over and over
- Tasks that put your wrist in an awkward position for a prolonged time
- Working with vibrating tools and equipment
Anyone in an occupation that has them do any of the above is at risk for developing carpal tunnel. This includes, but is not limited to, people who work in construction, manufacturing, office administration, retail, and healthcare.
What are the signs and symptoms of carpal tunnel?
Carpal tunnel syndrome can cause tingling and numbness in your fingers and hands that can travel up your wrist. It can also feel stiff and painful. Additionally, carpal tunnel can cause weakness in the hands that can make it difficult to grasp and hold objects. You should see a doctor if you have tingling, numbness, pain, or weakness that starts to interfere with your daily life and work.
How do doctors treat carpal tunnel syndrome?
Treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome can include wrist splinting, activity modification, therapy, medication or corticosteroid injections and, in more serious cases, carpal tunnel release surgery. If your condition is related to your job, workers’ compensation may cover reasonable and necessary treatment for the work injury.
Contact KBG Injury Law about your carpal tunnel work injury claim
KBG Injury Law may be able to help you prove your carpal tunnel work injury claim. We can help gather the evidence necessary to establish that your condition is work-related and pursue the benefits available under Pennsylvania law. If the insurance company denies or underpays your claim, we can challenge that decision.
We represent people, not case numbers. We are here to get to know you and advocate for you in the way that best meets your needs. To learn more, contact us for a free consultation. We have offices in York, Lancaster, Harrisburg, Gettysburg, and Hanover.
Brian P. Strong has been a member of KBG since 2002 and since that time has focused exclusively on cases involving personal injury and wrongful death. Learn more about Brian.