Carpal Tunnel Lawyers in Pittsburgh, PA
Can You Get Workers' Compensation for Carpal Tunnel?
Carpal tunnel is a common injury suffered by many different types of workers – especially if they work with their hands. Cashiers, factory workers, and typists: anyone can be affected. Symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome can include constant pain, burning, tingling and numbness in your hands. If your symptoms worsen, you may lose grip strength in your hands and you could also lose your ability to sense hot and cold.
This injury, known as a Repetitive Stress Injury, results from doing the same kind of task repeatedly over a long period of time. If you believe you have carpal tunnel due to your job, the first step is get a diagnosis from a doctor and then let your employer know about your injury. It is possible, though difficult, to get workers' comp for carpal tunnel.
Documentation of your injury is very important, especially if you're wondering if you should file a workers' comp claim for carpal tunnel. Having a paper trail showcasing your injuries and how they developed can only help to strengthen your case. Oftentimes, insurers will question your claim if there isn't sufficient evidence that your injury is related to your job.
Getting workers' compensation for carpal tunnel alone is considered to be an uphill battle. If you're wondering how to win a carpal tunnel workers' comp claim, the answers are trickier than you'd think. Proving that your job, and only your job, caused carpal tunnel can be difficult. Carpal tunnel lawsuit settlements are rare – so you must be certain that your workplace activities caused the injury if you're aiming for a lawsuit. A workers' compensation attorney experienced with carpal tunnel claims can help you prove if your injury is work-related.
How is carpal tunnel classified when pursuing compensation?
In Pennsylvania, the majority of carpal tunnel claims for workers' compensation are classified under the umbrella of occupational disease. Most carpal tunnel injuries come about from repetitive movements at the workplace. Sometimes, symptoms of carpal tunnel develop slowly and injured workers ignore the signs or work through their pain before pursuing any kind of medical attention.
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASE: A condition that occurs over time as a direct result of your daily work requirements.
If the state laws mandate that you can get compensation if your disability arose as an occupational disease, this means that you'll have to show that you were exposed to and suffered greater from carpal tunnel than a member of the average public. Gaining more understanding into how you achieve a carpal tunnel work comp settlement amount can give you peace of mind.
The pain that comes from being unable to use your hands is a pain that no one should have to endure. If you've been diagnosed with carpal tunnel and believe that your workplace caused it, don't hesitate to call the Pittsburgh office of Edgar Snyder & Associates at 412-394-1000. Have questions about the workers' compensation laws regarding carpal tunnel in Pennsylvania? We're here to get you the information you need.
Can You Sue Your Employer for Carpal Tunnel?
When your fingers burn and no painkiller can stop it, or you're waiting to undergo surgery for carpal tunnel– it's easy to want to go after your employer for causing your injuries. Unfortunately, suing your employer won't get you anywhere. Instead, you must file a workers' compensation claim.
Filing a workers' compensation claim can achieve a few things for you. Your company's insurance could be held liable for your lost wages and medical expenses when it comes to your carpal tunnel treatment. Carpal tunnel often ends in surgical intervention. Weeks off work while you're in the hospital and then recovering can stall your wages. Don't let that happen to you. Varying settlement amounts for workers' comp carpal tunnel cases can only help you pay the bills. Filing a workers' compensation claim is the best thing you can do for yourself.
While we can't say exactly for the average settlement of a carpal tunnel workers' compensation case since they vary from person to person, know that our certified attorneys at Edgar Snyder & Associates deal with these types of injury cases often.
You may not be limited to just a workers' compensation claim. In some cases, if you are experiencing carpal tunnel due to a car accident that is unrelated to your job, you could also file a personal injury or social security disability claim. There are alternative circumstances for both of those types of claims, but they're worth looking into if your situation fits the criteria.
Is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome a Work-Related Injury?
Getting a doctor to diagnose you with carpal tunnel is fairly straightforward; figuring out how to prove that carpal tunnel is work-related is a whole other story. If you are pursuing a claim due to carpal tunnel, you must think hard about how your injury was caused. If you have a second job that requires repetitive movements, or if you play a sport like tennis – the carpal tunnel could have developed from those types of activities.
Health conditions can also come into play when you're trying to get workmans' comp settlements for carpal tunnel. If you already have a condition like diabetes or arthritis, your employer's insurance company could argue that the injury never occurred while you were working for your employer. That's why documentation is so crucial.
Carpal tunnel can be a work-related injury but each case is different. An aggravation can still be considered a work injury if your job caused the condition to get worse – but this is something you'll need to prove with supportive medical evidence.
After you've seen a doctor and have been diagnosed with carpal tunnel, your next step should be to give the Pittsburgh office of Edgar Snyder & Associates a call at 412-394-1000. We're here to assist you in your journey if you believe that your workplace caused your carpal tunnel.
Is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Considered a Disability?
Carpal tunnel isn't just about your hands hurting. This debilitating injury can throw your entire life out of balance. If you believe that carpal tunnel has caused you to become disabled, you must contact your local Social Security Administration (SSA) office. From there, you submit an application for disability benefits.
Proving that your carpal tunnel should qualify you for disability benefits comes with a long list of evaluations. The Social Security Administration looks for a variety of factors, such as:
- Your remaining ability to do work-related physical/mental activities after they've considered your conditional limitations
- Strength limitations like bending and climbing, manipulation of your fingers
- How well you can do sedentary, light, medium or heavy work duties
- Fine motor skill deterioration (how well you can now type, operate a cash register, etc.)
Carpal tunnel does not automatically qualify you for disability benefits through the SSA. There are ways to fit carpal tunnel symptoms into other qualifiers though. If you have questions about carpal tunnel, contact an attorney at Edgar Snyder & Associates today by calling 412-394-1000.
Carpal Tunnel is a Complex Injury — Contact Edgar Snyder & Associates Today
When it comes to carpal tunnel and workers' compensation settlements, no amount of money can bring back the strength you once had in your fingers or ease the pain you may be feeling deep into your wrists. But let us help to ease at least one burden for you: the burden of lost wages, medical bills, and emotional stress. You don't have to suffer in silence. If you've been diagnosed with carpal tunnel and suspect you could have a workers' compensation claim, don't hesitate. Time could be running out to file your claim.
Call the Pittsburgh office of Edgar Snyder & Associates today for a free case review. Let us help you move forward with your life as you overcome the unique challenges that stem from carpal tunnel. Workers' compensation laws are complex, but we're here to help. Get a free consultation today by calling 412-394-1000.