What is carpal tunnel syndrome?
Carpal tunnel syndrome refers to a compression of the median nerve when it passes through the wrist. This nerve carries the sense of touch to the thumb and the next two fingers and controls the movement of the hand muscles. When this gets affected it causes sharp and continuous pain in the arm and wrist, thus disabling full movement of the wrist and arm. The condition is progressive in nature and does have the possibility of worsening over time.
What is a carpal tunnel claim?
Different job roles require different physical motions throughout the day. Jobs with long hours of typing and working with computers, assembly line activities, operating heavy machinery or repetitive agricultural activities sometimes lead to a work-related injury i.e. carpal tunnel syndrome.
A carpal tunnel claim refers to making a worker’s compensation claim that your carpal tunnel syndrome was caused due to your employer’s negligence and inability to perform the duty of care and wellbeing.
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FAQs
What causes carpal tunnel syndrome?
Carpal tunnel syndrome can be caused by multiple factors, especially repetitive motion-based actions and trauma.
Many workplaces or job profiles cause repetitive motions in the same hand or wrist. Over time these continuous movements cause pain in the wrist i.e. causing a carpal tunnel syndrome.
Here are a few jobs and activities with a high probability of repetitive action and hand motion:
- Assembly line work
- Data entry or typing
- Playing musical instruments
- Working long hours on a computer
- Sewing
- Automobile mechanic activities
- Painter or carpenter
- Agricultural worker
- Cashier
- Locksmith
- Repetitive use of vibrating tools
What are the reasons to claim workers compensation?
The symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome cause restriction movement and action which last a lifetime. Carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms expand way beyond the ability to continue in a particular job profile but have lasting effects on everyday activities.
The most common symptoms are:
- Numbness and burning sensation in the thumb or first three fingers
- Pain in hand which goes up to the arm and shoulder
- Weak grip and inability to pinch
- The frequent dropping of objects
Can I claim workers compensation for carpal tunnel syndrome?
The rise of desk and computer jobs has caused a relative increase in personal health injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome. While your mouse and keyboard might be the main reason behind your issue, you can’t sue your employer over carpal tunnel syndrome. But you can claim a worker’s compensation for the same.
It is very important to understand how worker’s compensation works before starting the process. It is highly recommended to pursue the journey along with a compensation lawyer to benefit from the worker’s compensation insurance system.
In the case of an accident or trauma caused by an accident at work or someone’s negligence at your workplace, you can definitely take the help of a personal injury lawyer to claim the worker’s compensation.
How long do I have to make a carpal tunnel compensation claim?
The time frame of claiming a personal injury claim or a carpal tunnel compensation claim is six months. In some scenarios, this can be extended to 3 years, depending on the injury and situation.
Steps to take if you are injured at work:
- It is highly recommended to notify your employer about injuries either verbally or in writing.
- Remember to give all the relevant information about how and when the injury occurred.
How much compensation can I claim for carpal tunnel syndrome?
The compensation amount for a carpal tunnel worker’s claim is based on certain factors based on the individual and their circumstances.
A compensation lawyer might look into multiple actors such as:
- Existing conditions
- Workplace negligence
- The seriousness of the injury
- Job requirements and link to injury
- Current and future loss of earnings
- Medical and travel expenses you had to pay
- Your present and future care and support needs
Key things to remember before considering to make a workers’ compensation claim
- Provide as many details about your injury as possible
- Be certain that the worker’s claim does not have the potential to work against you
- Confirm whether your employer is certified for workplace injury
- Consult a personal injury lawyer who is an expert in such claims
LHD Lawyers key service areas
LHD’s team of carpal tunnel injury lawyers are available at 26 offices all over Australia:
Visit one of our personal injury centres in NSW, VIC, QLD, WA and TA. Our national team is a group of dedicated personal injury specialists aimed to give you the best possible legal outcome for your carpal tunnel injury.
We operate across major cities and regional areas, find your nearest office here.
Why choose LHD lawyers?
The experienced team at LHD Lawyers are experts in carpal tunnel injury workers comp claims. The team members take the individual through a step by step process of making workers’ claims in Australia.
LHD Lawyers have over 30 years of experience in making carpal tunnel claims a smoother and easier process for affected individuals all across the country. We are dedicated to understanding your situation and applying a personalised approach to your carpal tunnel workers claim. The LHD team will keep you updated throughout the claim process and would be happy to answer all your questions to give you clarity and a thorough understanding of your case. Our ‘no win no fee‘ guarantee means that if we don’t win your case, you won’t need to pay us a cent.
We also have an innovative ‘LHD Lawyers Case Tracker’ mobile application which allows you to keep a check on your claim’s continuous progress.
See other related claims
If you’re looking for more information on Carpal Tunnel Workers Compensation claims, we have a wealth of knowledge from our expert team of Carpal Tunnel Workers Compensation lawyers for you to explore.We’re here to help
Contact us today for free online claim checker and we can help get your life back on track.