Carpal tunnel syndrome compensation claims

What is carpal tunnel syndrome?

Carpal tunnel syndrome is an extremely painful condition of the hand and fingers that's caused by pressure on the median nerve in your wrist. 

The carpal tunnel is a narrow passageway that is surrounded by bones and ligaments on the palm side of your hand, and when the nerve is compressed, you can experience tingling, numbness and pain in your hand and fingers.

Carpal tunnel syndrome can be caused by the following repeated actions:

• Heavy lifting
• Forceful bending of the wrist
• Typing for long periods
• Using vibrating tools

What are the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome?

Carpal tunnel symptoms often start gradually and can worsen over time. They include:

• Weakness or difficulty gripping: You may find it tough to grip something tightly or hold something for long enough without dropping it. This could be due to the numbness in your hand, or weakness of the thumb's pinching muscles, which are also controlled by the median nerve. 
• An ache or pain in your fingers, hand or arm: You may experience pain in the forearm, or even higher up. Your thumb, index finger and middle fingers are also more likely to feel painful, but sometimes your whole hand can be affected. 
• Tingling or pins and needles: During the night, tingling and pins and needles can often disturb your sleep. Hanging your hands out of the bed, or shaking them around, should help to reduce the tingling. 

The dominant hand can often be affected first and can also produce the most severe symptoms. 

If you have experienced any of these symptoms and think you might be suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome due to negligence of your employer, get in touch with us on . We could help you get the workers carpal tunnel compensation settlement that you deserve.

Can I claim against my employer for a carpal tunnel injury?

Carpal tunnel syndrome is usually caused by repetitive movements and your symptoms can be intermittent. It can often be difficult to tell if somebody is at fault for your carpal tunnel injury - but we're here to help.

Because of the repetitive nature of some jobs, work-related accidents are a common cause of carpal tunnel syndrome.

Your employer has a duty of care to make sure you have the right equipment and training in order to protect your health and well-being at work. They should follow health and safety regulations including carrying out risk assessments to reduce the chance of injury.

For example, if you work in an office, they should ensure that your workstation is set up so that you're less likely to develop carpal tunnel symptoms. Ideally, they should also give you training on how to avoid repetitive strain injury.

Any jobs which involve repeated pressure or bending of the wrist can cause carpal tunnel syndrome, so people who work in factories and warehouses should be especially cautious. Construction workers who regularly use vibrating tools or lift heavy objects can also be prone to the condition.

If your employer hasn't followed health and safety regulations, then they've put you at risk and we don't think that's fair. If you've been injured, you could make a carpal tunnel claim to help with your recovery and to make sure you're not left out of pocket.

Find out more about making a work injury claim or call us on to get advice from our expert carpal tunnel lawyers.

How do I make a carpal tunnel claim?

First, it's important to find out whether you can make a carpal tunnel injury claim. Simply call our friendly, personal injury advisors for free, impartial advice before deciding whether you want to move forward. If you believe that you're suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome as a direct result of your job, get in touch with us today on .

During the call, we'll listen to what you've been through, ask you a few questions and then let you know whether you can make a carpal tunnel claim. Importantly, we'll never rush or pressure you into starting a carpal tunnel claim. We're just here to help you get the information you need to make a decision.

If you do decide that you want to push for a settlement for your carpal tunnel syndrome, we can help you take the next steps by putting you in touch with one of our specialist solicitors who will have experience working with your type of case and condition.

Is there a time limit to make a claim for carpal tunnel workers compensation?

Like other personal injury claims, you usually need to make a carpal tunnel claim within three years of becoming aware of the condition, presuming it's the result of workplace injury. 

It's therefore in your best interests to contact us at the earliest opportunity so you can maximise your chances of making a successful carpal tunnel injury claim.

Will I lose my job if I claim against my employers?

If you'd like to pursue a settlement for carpal tunnel syndrome after developing the condition as a direct result of your work, it's important to stress that you cannot get sacked for making a claim. 

Where somebody breaches their duty of care to another person that results in injury or illness, the person injured is entitled to seek compensation. The employer-employee relationship is no different, and under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, employers have a duty to ensure the safety of their employees.

This means that your employer must not only provide you with training on how to carry out your work without getting injured, but they must always complete risk assessments and take all reasonable steps to ensure you're free from harm in the workplace.

How much compensation do you get for carpal tunnel syndrome?

Carpal tunnel compensation payouts vary from case to case. This is because the amount of compensation you can claim for a carpal tunnel injury will depend on your individual circumstances.

In order to work out how much carpal tunnel workers compensation you might get, our solicitors will look into the seriousness of the injury, your current and future care needs, your current and future loss of earnings, and any medical expenses you have had to pay.

To give you an idea of how much compensation you could receive, The Judicial Guidelines, set out by the Ministry of Justice, can provide a rough estimate of work related damages (which includes carpal tunnel syndrome) by the scale of severity.

If your particular injury isn't included in the above, you can use our carpal tunnel compensation calculator to provide you with an estimate of what your settlement could look like.