Repetitive stress injuries can develop when repeated movements, forceful exertion, awkward positioning, or prolonged activity place continuing strain on muscles, tendons, nerves, or joints. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common repetitive stress condition affecting the hand and wrist. For workers in Atlanta, Georgia, a repetitive stress injury may potentially support a workers’ compensation claim when employment caused or materially contributed to the condition.
What Is a Repetitive Stress Injury?
A repetitive stress injury, sometimes called a repetitive strain injury, develops over time rather than from a single traumatic event. Repeated movements can place ongoing stress on certain areas of the body and eventually cause pain, inflammation, weakness, nerve problems, or reduced mobility.
These conditions can affect many parts of the body, including the:
- Hands
- Wrists
- Fingers
- Elbows
- Shoulders
- Neck
- Back
Workers whose jobs involve repeated gripping, typing, lifting, scanning, assembly work, operating tools, or other repetitive movements may experience these types of injuries.
However, repetitive activity is not the only potential cause. Medical conditions and non-work activities can also contribute, making it particularly important to establish the connection between an injury and employment in a workers’ compensation claim.
What Is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when the median nerve becomes compressed as it passes through the carpal tunnel, a narrow passageway in the wrist. Repeated hand movements may contribute to the condition, although wrist anatomy, injuries, and certain medical conditions can also increase the risk.
Common symptoms include:
- Numbness or tingling in the hand
- Burning or pain in the wrist or fingers
- Weakness in the hand or thumb
- Difficulty gripping or holding objects
- Problems performing precise hand movements
- Symptoms that worsen at night
Carpal tunnel typically affects the thumb, index finger, middle finger, and part of the ring finger. Severe or long-lasting cases may cause significant weakness and muscle deterioration around the thumb.
What Types of Jobs Can Cause Repetitive Stress Injuries?
Repetitive stress injuries are not limited to office employees who spend their days typing. Many occupations require repeated hand, wrist, arm, or shoulder movements.
Jobs that may involve repetitive physical activity include:
- Construction work
- Manufacturing and assembly-line work
- Warehouse employment
- Meat or food processing
- Data entry
- Administrative work
- Cashier and retail positions
- Automotive repair
- Landscaping
- Healthcare work
- Delivery and package handling
Whether a particular condition is work-related depends on the employee’s duties, frequency and intensity of the movements, medical history, and other circumstances.
Are Repetitive Stress Injuries Covered by Georgia Workers’ Compensation?
Potentially. Georgia workers’ compensation provides benefits for qualifying injuries that arise out of and in the course of employment. Georgia generally requires employers with three or more employees, including regular part-time employees, to maintain workers’ compensation coverage.
Repetitive-trauma claims can be more complicated than claims involving a single identifiable accident because it may be difficult to determine exactly when the injury occurred. Georgia courts have recognized circumstances in which continuing work activity causes a condition to gradually worsen until the employee can no longer perform the job. Whether this is treated as a new injury, a change in condition, or another type of compensable claim can depend heavily on the facts and the employee’s prior injury history.
For that reason, workers experiencing carpal tunnel or another repetitive stress condition should avoid assuming that the absence of one sudden accident means workers’ compensation benefits are unavailable.
How Can You Prove a Repetitive Stress Injury Is Work-Related?
Medical evidence is often especially important. An employee may need to establish a connection between their job duties and the condition for which they are seeking benefits.
Helpful evidence may include:
- Medical records documenting symptoms and diagnosis
- A physician’s opinion regarding the cause of the condition
- A detailed description of job responsibilities
- Evidence showing how frequently repetitive tasks were performed
- Employment and scheduling records
- Statements from coworkers or supervisors
- Documentation showing when symptoms began and worsened
Doctors may use physical examinations, ultrasound, electromyography, or nerve conduction studies when diagnosing carpal tunnel syndrome.
Medical documentation may also help distinguish a work-related repetitive stress condition from symptoms caused primarily by an unrelated medical condition or activity outside work.
What Workers’ Compensation Benefits May Be Available?
When a repetitive stress injury qualifies for Georgia workers’ compensation, an employee may be eligible for benefits that address both medical treatment and lost earning capacity.
Depending on the circumstances, benefits may include payment for authorized medical care, rehabilitation services, and income benefits when the injury prevents the worker from performing their regular job.
Carpal tunnel treatment varies according to the severity of the condition. Treatment may involve activity modification, wrist splinting, corticosteroid injections, or surgery when symptoms are severe or do not improve with conservative care.
How Long Do You Have To Report a Work Injury in Georgia?
Georgia workers should generally notify their employer of an on-the-job injury within 30 days. Waiting can create problems with both medical treatment and the claim itself.
The deadline for formally pursuing benefits may depend on how the repetitive stress condition is legally classified and on the circumstances of the claim. For ordinary workplace injury claims, Georgia generally imposes a one-year filing deadline, subject to exceptions involving employer-provided medical treatment or prior benefit payments. Different rules can apply to occupational disease claims.
Because the date of injury can be disputed when symptoms develop gradually, workers should consider reporting symptoms and seeking legal advice as soon as they suspect their job is causing or worsening the condition.
Contact Hammers Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers About a Repetitive Stress Injury/Carpal Tunnel Claim in Atlanta, GA
Repetitive stress injuries can interfere with your ability to work, perform routine tasks, and use your hands or arms without pain. When your employment caused or contributed to carpal tunnel syndrome or another repetitive stress condition, Georgia workers’ compensation benefits may be available.
Hammers Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers can review your work duties, medical records, and the circumstances surrounding your condition to determine what options may be available. Contact us today at (770) 900-9000 to schedule a free consultation with an Atlanta personal injury lawyer and learn more about pursuing a repetitive stress injury or carpal tunnel claim.
Visit Our Personal Injury Law Office in Atlanta, GA
Hammers Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers
201 Joseph E Lowery Blvd NW Suite 312
Atlanta, GA 30314
Open 24/7
(770) 900-9000
770-626-4469
