Last month, we talked about Olivia, who suffered for a long time from carpal tunnel. While it caused her intense pain, that wasn’t the worst of it. It also derailed her life plans and forced her to change course. The struggle to deal with her diagnosis was both physical and mental, as she battled for a while over reporting her work injury to HR. Olivia felt embarrassed and thought her clinic would be upset with her. After struggling internally for a while, Olivia decided to file a claim and received workman’s compensation.
A lot of carpal tunnel cases go unreported, as dental workers struggle over going to HR just as Olivia did. But it shouldn’t have to be that way.
Olivia worked with a workman’s compensation lawyer before making her final decision. This person was knowledgeable with the diagnosis and agreed she should report it. According to injuryclaimcoach.com, carpal tunnel is recognized as a legitimate on-the-job injury. “Workers affected by carpal tunnel syndrome have a right to make a workers’ compensation claim,” writes retired judge Anthony Calisi. Calisi went on to write about how carpal tunnel can creep up on workers. “Unlike many on-the-job injuries that are quickly apparent, carpal tunnel syndrome is a progressive injury and can take months, even years, before any symptoms appear,” he writes. “If you experience symptoms and want to seek medical care, you must notify your employer as soon as possible after the onset of your symptoms.”
In his article, Claisi goes on to spell out exactly what will happen when someone files a workman’s comp claim, which includes a series of doctors visits and evaluations and options of how to best treat the ailment.
It’s important to remember that each state has its own workman’s comp laws requiring employers to provide their workers with insurance coverage.
“Not all employers are required to carry workers’ comp insurance,” Calisi writes in an article on workman’s comp. “Depending on the state, some smaller companies with a limited number of employees are exempt from having to provide coverage. Other employers may be exempt from state requirements because they have enough assets to provide intra-company insurance with benefits equal to, or better than those provided under the state’s workers’ compensation laws. These companies are referred to as self-certified.”
Click here to view a list of state-by-state workman’s comp laws.
If you are suffering from carpal tunnel, make sure you know your rights and your state’s workman’s comp laws. Get all the information you can before moving forward. And remember, you have a right to make a workman’s comp claim.
- Exit Interviews: Get it in Writing - October 30, 2019
- Vaping Possible Suspect in Wisconsin teens’ hospitalization - October 23, 2019
- What to Do About Negative Reviews Online - October 16, 2019