Thousands of workers all across Arizona and the United States experience carpal tunnel syndrome. They complain of similar symptoms of numbness, tingling and weakness. The jobs they perform may be significantly different from one another, but each typically involves repetitive motions of the hands and wrists.
If you are one of these employees, you may see your workers’ compensation claim for carpal tunnel syndrome denied, at least initially. This can result in feelings of surprise and frustration. Why can it be difficult to file a claim for carpal tunnel syndrome and receive compensation?
According to the Mayo Clinic, research into carpal tunnel syndrome has not yet established work-related factors as a direct cause of the condition. Though there may be a perceived link between prolonged computer use and carpal tunnel syndrome in the public imagination, as of yet there is not enough quality evidence that consistently demonstrates a connection.
Adding to the difficulty is that carpal tunnel syndrome may be multifactorial, meaning that it can have more than one cause. Many of the risk factors for carpal tunnel syndrome, such as age, weight, sex and pre-existing medical conditions, have nothing to do with your work. The workers’ compensation insurance company may try to capitalize on this fact, arguing that your work-related activities were not a significant contributing factor.
This is not to say that you should not file a claim for carpal tunnel syndrome, only that it may be more difficult to obtain compensation than you anticipate. If you have reason to believe that any injury you sustain relates to your work activities, the best course of action is to file a work comp claim as soon as possible.
The information in this article is not intended as legal advice but provided for educational purposes only.
