Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS)

The experts in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) claims

Oakwood Solicitors has a dedicated team of Solicitors and legal professionals, specialising in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome claims. With a strong reputation for being tough on defendants, we’re sure to recover the compensation you deserve.

What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS)?

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, or CTS, is a painful condition of the hand and fingers caused by compression of a major nerve where it passed over the carpal bones at the front of the wrist. It causes pins and needles, numbness and weakness of the hand or fingers.

Carpal Tunnel can be caused due to being overweight, pregnancy or genetics. But, it is also a type of repetitive strain injury that can be caused due to your type of work.

It can commonly affect people who use their hands to carry out their job, for example on an assembly line, manufacturing or dentist.

If you have suffered from Carpal Tunnel due to not having the correct protections at work, you may be entitled to claim against your employer.

How do you get Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome happens when the carpal tunnel inside your wrist swells and squeezes 1 of your nerves (median nerve). This sometimes happens if you are repetitively using your fingers and wrists, or are using vibrating tools.

You’re more at risk if you:

Are overweight
Are pregnant
Do work or hobbies that mean you repeatedly bend your wrist or grip hard, such as using vibrating tools
Have another illness, such as arthritis or diabetes
Have a parent, brother or sister with CTS
Have previously injured your wrist

What jobs puts you at risk of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

People most at risk are those with jobs or activities that involve repetitive finger use, especially those associated with high-force, long-term use, extreme wrist motions and vibrations.

Jobs that involve repetitive wrist movement include:

Assembly line work
Construction
Manufacturing
Dentist
Musician
Mechanic
Carpenter
Painter
Office work

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome symptoms

Symptoms usually begin slowly and can occur at any time. Early symptoms include numbness at night, tingling and/or pain in the fingers.

Common daytime symptoms are tingling and decreased feeling in the fingertips. Patients also report difficulty handling small objects, grasping the steering wheel to drive, holding a book to read, writing, or using a computer keyboard, etc.

How long does Carpal Tunnel Syndrome last?

It is thought that around a third of cases symptoms go on their own within six months. In severe cases, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome can last years without treatment.

How is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome diagnosed?

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is diagnosed using a combination of your personal history, a physical examination, and tests called Nerve Conduction studies.

A physical examination includes a detailed evaluation of your hand, wrist, shoulder and neck to check for any other causes of nerve pressure. Your doctor will look at your wrist for signs of tenderness and any deformities.

Nerve Conduction Tests (NCT) are diagnostic tests which can measure the conduction speed of your nerve impulses. If the nerve impulse is slower than normal as the nerve passes into the hand, you may have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

How to help Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Treatment of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome depends on its severity. Nonsurgical options include:

Avoiding positions that overextend your wrist.
Wrist splints that hold your hand in a neutral position.
Steroid injections into your carpal tunnel to reduce inflammation.

Surgery may be necessary if there is severe damage to your median nerve. This involves cutting the band of tissue in the wrist that crosses the median nerve so as to lessen the pressure on your nerve.

Factors that determine success or failure are the age of the patient and the duration of symptoms. The outcome of surgery is normally very good.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome at work – Rules and regulations

Your employer has general common law duties to ensure you have a safe place of work, safe plant or machinery and a safe system of work. If the Defendant breaches these duties there will be a claim in negligence against them.

A breach of these common law duties can be shown/proven by identifying breaches in statutory requirements the Defendants have to comply with. Some of these are as follows:

Health and Safety Act 1974

Every employer has a duty so far as is reasonably practicable, to ensure the safety and welfare of employees.

Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999

Duty to undertake adequate risk assessment (Reg. 3)
The requirement to undertake health surveillance (Reg. 6)

Frequently Asked Questions

What will my claim be worth?

The value of your claim will depend on the severity of the injuries linked with the work.

The court will be guided by the Judicial Studies Board (JSB) guidelines, which set out the levels for different awards.

Typical awards can be as follows:

Continuing bilateral disability with surgery – £19,210 – £20,280.
Continuing, but fluctuating and unilateral symptoms – £13,080 – £14,330.
Symptoms resolving in the course of up to 3 years – £7,580 – £9430.
Complete recovery within a short period (a few months) – £1,930–£3,090.

On top of the figures above you will also be able to claim for any specific financial/out-of-pocket losses, such as loss of earnings or medication costs that have been directly incurred by the condition.

How do I make a claim?

If you have read the above and feel that you may be suffering from any Carpal Tunnel Syndrome symptoms whilst exposed to repetitive tasks at work, call Oakwood solicitors to speak to our dedicated Industrial Disease Team and ask about our No-Win, No-Fee agreement.

In order to run the majority of Personal Injury claims, you have to have started the claim within three years of the injury.

However, with Industrial Disease claims it may be that the injury started over a period of time and was only diagnosed within the last three years. We will be able to clarify this for you.

How long will my case take?

The length of time for a case can vary and can strongly depend on how Defendants and their insurers want to defend the action.

Initially, it may be that we request certain documents from the Defendants/their insurers, such as Risk Assessments/job sheets to fully assess the claim before any formal claim is made.

Generally, these cases can take anywhere from twelve months up to three years to reach a conclusion.

Why should I choose Oakwood Solicitors Ltd?

Oakwood Solicitors Ltd agrees to work on your Industrial Disease claim on a ‘no-win, no-fee’ basis. If your claim is unsuccessful, you will not be expected to pay us a penny.

If you are successful in your claim, we take a percentage of the compensation meaning that the only time we will receive money is if we have brought your claim to a fruitful conclusion.

You will have a dedicated advisor who will see your claim through from start to finish, assisting you in the event of any queries or issues you may have.

If it is preferable to you, we are able to assign a female advisor to carry out your claim. Your case handler will also continue to provide regular updates until the conclusion of your claim, ensuring the process is as stress-free and effortless as possible.

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Very happy with the treatment we received from Oakwood Solicitors. We were kept informed on a regular basis. Very friendly and informative.

- Anthony Haydon

Brilliant service

Brilliant service from start to finish. Can’t speak more highly of Natasha Hardy who handled my case. Would recommend without a second thought

- Satisfied client

Natasha Hardy - Solicitor and Head of Department

Natasha Hardy is a Solicitor specialising in Industrial Disease matters and has experience in handling a wide range of cases including claims for Noise-Induced Hearing Loss & Tinnitus, Hand/Arm Vibration Syndrome & Vibration White Finger, Work Related Upper Limb Disorders, Occupational Dermatitis, Asbestosis, Respiratory & Chest Conditions and Lung Disease.

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