Can I Get Disability for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

With so many people working in offices and industries that require repetitive manual labor, the phrase carpal tunnel syndrome has almost become shorthand for work-related hand injuries. And data from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health seems to show a correlation between jobs that involve repetitive manual activity and/or certain wrist postures and incidents carpal tunnel.

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) can be painful and even lead to atrophied muscles in the hand. And if CTS causes too much pain or muscle degeneration, can you get disability benefits?

Disability in a Nutshell

Disability insurance compensates someone if they are disabled and unable to work. There are private disability insurance policies that can cover both short and long term disability, and the benefits can vary depending on the type of plan purchased. This is not to be confused with Social Security Disability Insurance, which is a government disability program that covers workers above a certain age and caps benefits at a specific amount.

Disability insurance also differs from workers’ compensation insurance, which is provided if you are injured at work. While workers’ compensation benefits are normally the only option for work-related injuries, you could be eligible to receive disability benefits if state disability benefits are higher than the workers’ compensation benefits to which you’re entitled. You may also receive disability benefits if your workers’ comp claim is being contested or has been denied.

Coverage for Carpal Tunnel

Workers’ comp will generally cover wrist injuries and repetitive motion injuries, so you can generally get disability for carpal tunnel syndrome. So if your carpal tunnel pain is keeping you from being able to work, you should be eligible for disability benefits.

If you have disability insurance, you should file a claim with your disability insurer. If you don’t already have a disability policy, you can check to see if you are eligible for Social Security Disability.

If you have legal questions about your disability coverage, or your disability claim has been denied, you should consult with an experienced disability attorney today.