We take for granted how much we use our hands and wrists. This includes the time we spend at work every day.
We have all had something happen to our hands and wrists. Our joints may be stiff, or our hands swell up. But this goes away quickly.
Sometimes, we injure our hands and wrists. When such an injury occurs at work, it may inhibit your ability to do your job.
Workers in the labor, construction, office, and manufacturing industries commonly have these injuries.
You might be entitled to hand or wrist injury workers’ comp benefits if you were injured at work. These benefits include medical treatment and wage replacement.
Filing a workers’ comp claim can be difficult because employers and insurance companies are not always accommodating.
You need an attorney to guide you through the claims process and help you receive a wrist injury workers’ comp settlement.
Causes of Hand and Wrist Injuries
There are many different ways you can injure your hand and wrist at work, such as:
- Vehicle or bicycle accident,
- Lifting accident,
- Strain,
- Repetitive stress injury,
- Fall, and
- Equipment malfunction.
You should file a workers’ comp claim if an injury occurred while working.
Types of Hand Injuries in the Workplace
Some of the most common hand and wrist injuries include the following conditions.
Repetitive Strain Injury
A repetitive strain injury is arguably the most common wrist injury. This type of injury involves muscle, tendon, or nerve damage caused by repetitive movements.
A repetitive strain injury can lead to different conditions that affect hand and wrist movement.
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Carpal tunnel refers to a canal in the wrist where a large nerve stretches from your hand to your forearm.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused when this nerve in the wrist is subjected to increased pressure. Symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome include pain and numbness in the hands and wrist.
This weakens the hand, and it may be difficult to carry on with your daily routine.
Tendonitis
Tendonitis refers to an inflammation of the tendons. Tendonitis in the wrist occurs when the tendons connecting your forearm’s muscles to the bones in your hand become inflamed.
Symptoms include pain when moving the wrist or lifting objects.
Burns
You may get electric, chemical, or thermal burns on your hand and wrist, depending on your work industry.
Some burns are minor and only go through one layer of skin, while severe burns can destroy all your layers of skin.
Minor burns can heal in a couple weeks. Severe burns need extensive treatment. There may be months of follow-up appointments, therapy, and emotional support.
Lacerations or Cuts
Sharp or jagged objects can be found anywhere in the workplace. Examples include a saw at a construction site or scissors at an office. Thus, cuts are common hand and wrist injuries.
The deeper the laceration, the longer it takes to heal and the longer you may qualify for workers’ compensation benefits.
Broken Bones
Like lacerations, broken bones, unfortunately, are a frequent occurrence in the workplace. Common causes of broken bones in the workplace include vehicle accidents, falls, and equipment malfunction.
Broken bones can severely disrupt your ability to work. For example, a broken wrist can take eight weeks to heal. If severe, it can take as long as six months.
Filing Workers’ Comp Benefits for Hand and Wrist Injuries
If you suffered a hand or wrist injury at work, you must notify your employer of the injury within 30 days.
You are entitled to workers’ comp if your hand or wrist was injured due to an accident in the workplace. You can also receive compensation for repetitive stress injuries resulting from your work duties.
The amount of workers’ compensation benefits depends on different factors, such as:
- The severity of the injury,
- Your job specifics,
- How much you use your hands to perform your duties,
- Whether your dominant hand was affected, and
- The success of the treatment.
Your employer pays the medical bills for your injury as well as two-thirds of your wages for the time you had to take off work to recover.
You may also be entitled to permanent disability benefits if you don’t fully recover from your injuries.
Contact Mehta & McConnell for Your Workers’ Compensation Claim
Every wrist injury workers’ comp case is different. Our seasoned attorneys at Mehta & McConnell, PLLC, can explain your rights so you know what to expect.
Our attorneys treat each client as an individual with dignity and respect. Every case gets the highest level of attention and importance.
Your employer and insurance might deny your claim and say you are not covered. We have experience in these cases and have secured workers’ comp hand injury settlements in various scenarios.
We know how to proceed to get you the best possible outcome. Talk to one of our attorneys and receive a free evaluation.
Viral Mehta
Viral Mehta is the managing attorney of Mehta & McConnell Injury Lawyers, a Charlotte, North Carolina Workers’ Compensation law firm. He enjoys spending time with friends and family, traveling, sports, and reading.
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