Many workplace injuries in Charlotte are caused not by a single accident, but rather by repeating the same movements over and over again over a lengthy period of time. These are often referred to as repetitive motion injuries.

These types of injuries are compensable under North Carolina workers' compensation law, but it can be more difficult to obtain compensation for these types of conditions as opposed to one-time accidents, which can have a more obvious cause.

However, Charlotte area office workers may be interested to learn that a new survey revealed that carpal tunnel syndrome is usually classified as a workplace injury by doctors. The condition is usually described as being related to work because it is caused by the repetitive strain the hand and wrist undergo when typing on a keyboard.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released this information late last month.

Almost 70 percent of people with carpal tunnel syndrome were reportedly told by a medical professional that the condition was related to work, according to the annual National Health Interview Survey.

The CDC's separate data noted that just over 3 percent of working adults, ages 18 to 64, were diagnosed with the syndrome in 2011.

Unfortunately, it is still all too common for workers' compensation insurance companies to deny coverage for carpal tunnel syndrome and other repetitive stress injuries. The information that this study compiled may help workers' compensation carriers to better understand the causes of carpal tunnel syndrome. Those who have had their workers' compensation claims denied may do well to contact an experienced worker's compensation attorney in order to appeal for appropriate compensation.

Source: Medical Daily, "CDC Survey: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Mostly Linked to Work," Adam Daley, Dec. 23, 2011