Carpal Tunnel in Mississippi Workers’ Comp
Carpal tunnel syndrome (often abbreviated CTS) is an incredibly common injury, and if you develop the ailment while at work, you should receive workers’ compensation. Numerous office workers experience carpal tunnel syndrome because of long hours at their desks, but working a desk job is not the only cause. If you are currently suffering from CTS, you should consider whether or not your condition was caused by your work.
In this blog, you’ll learn all about carpal tunnel syndrome, what activities can contribute to the condition, and what compensation you are eligible to receive.
What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
People who suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome experience pain, numbness, and tingling in their affected hands and fingers. Other symptoms include itching, burning, and tingling in the index finger, middle finger, and palm. Many also experience hand weakness to the point they have difficulty holding things.
If you suffer from CTS, you may experience a numb or tingling sensation in your hands in the morning and experience pain when holding an object or doing an activity that involves your hands.
CTS occurs when the median nerve becomes compressed. The median nerve runs through the entirety of the arm and goes into the hand through the wrist in a passageway known as the carpal tunnel. The median nerve controls all of your fingers except for your pinky, which is why people experience numbness and weakness in their fingers when the median nerve is compressed.
Although anyone can potentially develop CTS, you are three times more likely to develop the ailment if you are a woman. Additional biological factors can also contribute to developing CTS, such as family history.
In addition to biological factors, you may also be more prone to developing CTS if you’ve experienced a wrist fracture, dislocation, or have arthritis. Obesity, pregnancy, thyroid issues, changes in body fluid, medical conditions, and even some medications can increase your risk of CTS.
What Activities Can Contribute to Developing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
Activities that require repetitive motions involving your hands, arms, and wrists can often lead to developing carpal tunnel syndrome. Common activities that can cause CTS include: tennis, playing instruments, sewing, crocheting, and using hands tools, such as a pneumatic screwdriver.
Although many leisurely activities can contribute to CTS, work-related activities can also heavily contribute to developing the condition. Some of these work-related activities include typing at a desk, working on an assembly line, driving, working at a cash register, and many other repetitive activities.
How Do You File For Work Compensation?
If you perform repetitive hand, arm, or wrist motions at work, you could develop carpal tunnel syndrome. CTS can become an incredibly pricey injury. It often requires medication, physical therapy, and sometimes even surgery. Fortunately, if you develop the syndrome from work activity, you could receive workers’ compensation.
The first thing you need to do to receive workers’ compensation is to inform your employer of your injury. Next, you need to file a workers’ compensation claim. In the state of Mississippi, employees technically have two years to file for workers’ compensation after suffering from an injury at work. CTS can often be difficult to identify, so workers can file a claim as long as the injury became apparent within the past two years.
CTS is considered an occupational condition, and those who suffer from it can be eligible for four different kinds of workers’ compensation. You could be eligible for Temporary Total Disability Benefits, meaning that you could receive ⅔ of your average weekly income while you are out of work. Another potential benefit is the Temporary Partial Disability Benefit. This claim is similar to the Temporary Total Disability Benefit, but rather than receive ⅔ of your average weekly income while not working, the benefit covers reduced income while working. If your injury results in you receiving less income, the Temporary Partial Disability Benefit will cover ⅔ of the difference between your current weekly wage and your average weekly wage.
In addition to temporary benefits, there are also permanent benefits. The Permanent Partial Disability Benefit compensates employees who have experienced improvement with their condition but are still physically impaired. If they’re still suffering from CTS after 450 weeks, they can receive ⅔ of their average weekly wage that they had before developing CTS.
The final benefit is the Permanent Total Disability Benefit, which compensates an employee that does not recover from CTS. They can receive 450 weeks of their full pay before they experienced CTS.
Receiving the workers’ compensation you deserve can sometimes be challenging, and that’s why we’re on your side to help you obtain compensation for carpal tunnel syndrome or a different workplace injury. Contact the Jackson workers’ compensation lawyers at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC. Call 601-488-3975 to receive a free consultation.
