Carpal Tunnel
Battle-Tested Advocacy for the Injured
Baton Rouge Injury Lawyers for Carpal Tunnel Injuries
In a world that’s getting more and more technologically advanced every day, keyboards and computers are becoming the main tools of trade for many people. Sitting in a sedentary position typing for hours every day may sound like a safe, comfortable job, but these jobs can still cause painful injuries. One of these repetitive motion injuries is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. This injury can cause severe pain and can require surgery and time away from work.
If a workplace injury causes you to seek medical treatment and miss work, you can file a workers’ compensation claim. Workers’ compensation insurance protects injured workers and provides compensation while they heal from their injuries. But how can you prove that your carpal tunnel injury is from work and not from activities you do outside of work? This is when working with a knowledgeable attorney from Joubert Law Firm can help.
At Joubert Law Firm, our experienced workers’ compensation lawyers are ready to help you tackle your workers’ comp case and make sure you get all the benefits you deserve for your injury. We can help you file workers’ comp for carpal tunnel and make sure your rights are protected.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition that affects the median nerve in your wrist. The median nerve runs through the carpal tunnel in your wrist and supplies all the feeling to your hand. This tunnel is extremely narrow, so even mild swelling can cause pressure on the nerve and tendons that run through it. This pressure is what causes the pain and other symptoms associated with carpal tunnel syndrome and can be caused by repetitive hand motions, trauma to the wrist, and fluid retention in the wrist.
Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel
Common symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome include:
Numbness or tingling in one or both hands/fingers
Loss of grip strength
Muscle weakness
Loss of sensation in fingers
Clumsiness
Burning sensation in the hand
Risk Factors for Carpal Tunnel
Sometimes a non-work-related factor can increase the risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome. These risk factors include:
Gender. Women are three times as likely to develop carpal tunnel than men.
Medical conditions. Medical conditions can contribute to carpal tunnel syndrome as well. Diabetes and pregnancy can both lead to fluid retention, which can result in carpal tunnel syndrome. Arthritis can also lead to carpal tunnel syndrome or make the symptoms worse.
Carpal Tunnel Diagnosis
Diagnosing carpal tunnel syndrome usually involves X-rays and other imaging tests to look at the nerves and tendons in the wrist. Your doctor may also conduct a nerve conduction study to determine the extent of the injury. Carpal tunnel syndrome can occur in both hands, but it’s usually worse in one hand. Because this syndrome usually develops over time, it’s important to see a doctor when you first start experiencing symptoms.
How to Treat Carpal Tunnel
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a progressive condition, meaning it can worsen over time, especially without proper treatment. Carpal tunnel syndrome can be treated using both conservative and surgical methods. Conventional treatment options include physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medication, and/or orthotic devices to keep the wrist from bending or twisting.
In severe cases, surgery can relieve pressure on the nerve. Carpal tunnel surgery is the second most common musculoskeletal surgery performed every year. Surgical intervention usually requires 6 to 8 weeks away from work. If your job is more intensive, you may require a longer recovery period to prevent re-injury.
What Types of Jobs Can Cause Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
Carpal tunnel syndrome affects between four and ten million people at any given time in the United States. To say this condition is common is an understatement. Some people have risk factors that can contribute to this condition, but your job can cause this condition as well. Using vibrating tools and typing at a keyboard for long periods of time can put pressure on the median nerve, which may lead to this condition.
Nearly every job has a series of repetitive tasks, and these repetitive movements can lead to a repetitive stress injury like carpal tunnel syndrome. Construction workers and office workers may have vastly different job duties, but both of these professions have a high risk of carpal tunnel syndrome. Other jobs that can cause carpal tunnel syndrome include:
Truckers or commercial truck drivers
Assembly line workers
Butchers
Florists
Textile workers
Seamstresses
If your job has caused carpal tunnel syndrome, you may file a claim to receive workers’ compensation benefits while you recover.
Can You File Workers’ Comp for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
If you suffer a work-related injury, you are entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. Louisiana law lists carpal tunnel syndrome as an “occupational disease.” This means that you can in fact file a workers’ compensation claim for carpal tunnel syndrome. Since carpal tunnel syndrome can be caused by activities outside of work, it can be difficult to prove that your injury is related to your job duties. This is where the attorneys at Joubert Law Firm can help.
What Workers’ Compensation Benefits are Available for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
In Louisiana, workers’ compensation insurance can help cover the cost of lost wages and medical expenses for work-related injuries. The Louisiana workers’ compensation system covers ⅔, or 66%, of your wages during your time away from work. Depending on the severity of your injury, this benefit can range from a few thousand dollars to tens of thousands of dollars.
Medical treatment is expensive, especially if you need surgery for your injuries. If your carpal tunnel syndrome has a permanent effect on your life, you may be entitled to more than just lost wages and medical bills. You may be eligible for temporary disability benefits. If your injury forces you to get a different job, workers’ compensation can also provide vocational rehabilitation benefits, which can help with both finding and training for a new job.
Do I Have a Workers’ Comp Claim for Carpal Tunnel?
If your injury is a result of your job duties, you can file a claim for workers’ compensation while you recover from your injury. Proving that your injury is a direct result of your job duties is the most difficult part of a worker’s compensation claim. Your employer or the insurance company may dispute or deny your case by claiming that other activities outside of work contributed to your injuries.
As an injured worker, the last thing you want to do is fight with workers’ compensation insurance companies and run around trying to gather evidence. This is when an experienced workers’ compensation attorney from Joubert Law Firm can step in and help you. We can help gather all the medical evidence needed to prove that your injury is directly related to your job duties while you focus on recovering.
Baton Rouge Carpal Tunnel Work Injury Lawyer
Establishing an attorney-client relationship with a workers’ compensation lawyer from Joubert Law Firm can give you peace of mind in your case. Fighting for fair compensation can be tough, but the Baton Rouge personal injury attorneys at Joubert Law Firm have the skill and experience necessary to help you.
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