Does workers’ comp insurance cover carpal tunnel syndrome?

When you think of dangerous work environments, an office might not be the first place that jumps to mind. However, repetitive office work can lead to serious injuries that result in lost time and costly medical bills.

While workers’ compensation insurance doesn’t prevent injuries, it can prevent them from turning into a financial drain on your business. This policy almost always covers common office injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome and slip-and-fall accidents.

Common injuries that lead to workers’ comp claims include carpal tunnel syndrome, collision accidents, slip-and-fall accidents, muscle strains, and stress-related injuries.

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) develops when the medial nerve running from the forearm to the palm of the hand is compressed at the wrist. The symptoms of this serious condition include numbness of the fingers, loss of grip strength, and persistent pain in the affected wrist, arm, or hand.

CTS is most common among people whose work requires a lot of repetitive hand motions, such as typing on a keyboard. Luckily, most workers’ comp policies provide full compensation for carpal tunnel surgery.

Even if you go to great lengths to keep your workspace safe, it’s impossible to eliminate every hazard in your office. For example, if an office assistant gets their fingers caught in a jammed copier, workers’ comp helps employees injured by objects get back on their feet as soon as possible.

Slip-and-fall accidents don’t just happen in offices with obvious hazards lying around. Even in the most organized office, an employee can trip over an extension cord or miss a step and injure themselves.

While office safety and organization should always be a priority, workers’ comp can minimize the impact of slip-and-fall accidents by covering the medical bills and lost wages of injured employees.

Lifting heavy materials like boxes full of equipment can lead to serious injuries. The risk increases if an employee doesn’t use proper form or items like dolly carts.

To keep your workforce happy and healthy, provide them with the training and equipment they need to prevent strains. If an employee still gets a muscle strain, workers’ comp usually covers related medical costs and lost wages.

Workplace stress can cause or contribute to mental health conditions like depression or anxiety. These mental health conditions can dramatically reduce the productivity of your employees as well as their quality of life.

Workers’ comp doesn’t always cover stress-related illnesses. State law typically dictates whether or not workers’ comp covers mental health conditions. Often, employees will have to provide more thorough documentation for these conditions compared to physical injuries.

Workers’ comp policies don’t limit the amount they’ll pay for medical bills if an employee is injured on the job.

This means that the policy usually provides enough compensation to cover the entire cost of carpal tunnel syndrome surgery, which typically ranges between $4,000 to $12,000. It also covers the full cost of other office injuries.

Workers’ comp does limit the amount you can claim from employer’s liability insurance, which covers your legal costs if an injured employee sues. Higher employer's liability limits cost more, but you’ll also receive a higher payout on a claim.

TechInsurance helps small business owners compare workers’ comp insurance quotes with one easy online application. Start an application today to find the right policy at the most affordable price for your business.