Can Carpal Tunnel Be Caused By A Car Accident?

COHEN & COHEN PERSONAL INJURY LAWYERS, P.C. | July 3, 2024 | Car Accident Injuries |

Yes, in some cases carpal tunnel can be caused by a car accident. Wrist injuries are a fairly common occurrence in car accidents in Queens. This is primarily due to the instinctive reaction of drivers and passengers to brace themselves by locking their arms and wrists against the steering wheel during a collision. Wrist injuries then result in the form of hyperextension, fractures, or sprains as the impact forces are transmitted through the arms. According to a study reported through PubMed, approximately 5% of all wrist injuries that were treated in various emergency departments are traffic accident-related, highlighting the significant role that vehicular accidents play in these types of injuries.

The complex nature of the wrist, with its numerous small bones, tendons, and cartilage, creates delicate structures, which makes the wrists particularly vulnerable to the forces exerted during a crash.

In the aftermath of a car accident in Queens, various wrist injuries can occur, leaving many to wonder can a car accident cause Carpal Tunnel. If you experience pain radiating from your wrist into your fingers or up to your elbow after being in a car accident, you may have developed carpal tunnel as a direct result. Our car accident lawyers in Queens at Cohen & Cohen Personal Injury Lawyers P.C. understand that many Queens car accident victims often mistake carpal tunnel for a simple sprain, unaware of the potential severity of their condition. Carpal tunnel can significantly impair a person’s ability to perform daily household tasks, or prevent them from being able to return to work, necessitating medical attention and extensive physical therapy to alleviate the pain. Disregarding this pain as a simple sprain could alter their chance at obtaining compensation for the development of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome that was a direct result of the accident they were a victim of. However, our team is committed to helping Queens car accident victims secure the compensation they deserve for Carpal Tunnel injuries sustained in an accident, ensuring they receive the necessary financial support for their recovery as well as their pain and suffering.

What Is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is one of the most common hand conditions that causes pain. Pain from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome typically results from pressure on the median nerve within the tunnel created by the carpal bones of the wrist. The carpal tunnel is a narrow passageway surrounded by the carpal bones, nerves, and ligaments on the palm side of the hand. When the median nerve, which runs through this tunnel, is compressed or pinched, it can lead to symptoms such as:

Symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome may include:

• Numbness, Tingling, Burning, & Pain – Feeling these sensations primarily in the thumb and index, middle, and ring fingers, often waking people up at night.
• Occasional Shock-Like Sensations – These shock-like sensations radiate to the thumb and index, middle, and ring fingers.
• Pain Or Tingling – These sensations may travel up the forearm toward the shoulder because the median nerve travels up the forearm.
• Weakness and Clumsiness In The Hand – These symptoms make it difficult to perform fine movements such as buttoning clothes, typing, or grabbing things.
• Dropping Things – This is due to weakness, numbness, or a loss of proprioception (awareness of where your hand is in space).

In most cases, the symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome begin to gradually appear and worsen over time. This condition can significantly affect hand function and dexterity, making working or daily tasks hard to accomplish, and often requires medical intervention to manage and alleviate the symptoms.

Traumatic Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

In car accidents in Queens, wrist injuries can often include traumatic carpal tunnel syndrome. During such an event, the ligaments and tendons surrounding the median nerve may be damaged. As these tissues heal, scar tissue can form and pinch or compress the median nerve, leading to the classic symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. Because this syndrome develops as ligaments and tendons heal rather than at right at the moment the accident occurs, the onset of traumatic Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is often delayed, sometimes for quite some time. Once diagnosed, the treatment plan for traumatic carpal tunnel syndrome typically resembles that of a regular case of carpal tunnel syndrome, typically involving medical intervention and physical therapy to manage and help alleviate symptoms.

Here’s How To Prove Your Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Is From A Car Accident?

Treatment For Carpal Tunnel Syndrome After A Car Accident

There are a few treatment options that most medical professionals will recommend or cycle through to see if your Carpal Tunnel Syndrome improves or goes away. These treatments are typically used to reduce pressure on the median nerve and alleviate symptoms, such as numbness and pain. Seeking treatment after a car accident will allow medical professionals to assess the severity of the condition after your car accident and create a treatment plan. These treatments often start with the least invasive options and progress to more involved treatments if necessary.

Some common Carpal Tunnel Syndrome treatments include:

• Temporarily Decrease The Use Of Your Hands & Wrists – Reducing activities that aggravate symptoms by reducing the use of your affected hands and wrists will help prevent further strain on the median nerve, allowing the inflamed area to rest and heal.
• Applying Cold Packs – Reducing swelling and inflammation by applying cold packs to the affected wrist and hand will help to decrease pressure caused by irritation on the median nerve, thus helping to alleviate pain and discomfort.
• Using Over-The-Counter Pain Relievers – Alleviating pain and inflammation with medications such as ibuprofen or aspirin can help to provide temporary relief and reduce swelling around the median nerve, which can temporarily help relieve the CTS symptoms.
• Wrist Splinting – Wearing a splint to keep the wrist in a neutral position is also a recommended treatment for Carpal Tunnel syndrome. This is especially recommended at night, to reduce unknowingly bending your wrists and putting pressure on the median nerve.
• Corticosteroids – Administering corticosteroid injections to reduce inflammation and alleviate symptoms is another treatment option if the others have not effectively reduced inflammation or irritation of the median nerve.
• Surgery Options – In severe cases where other treatment options are not helping with CTS, surgical procedures like carpal tunnel release may be recommended to relieve pressure on the median nerve.

How A Queens Car Accident Lawyer Can Help After Developing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome After A Car Accident

We understand how burdensome and painful Carpal Tunnel Syndrome can be after it being caused by a car accident. Our Queens car accident lawyers at Cohen & Cohen are dedicated to helping you not only obtain compensation for your medical costs associated with your CTS, but also for any lost wages and pain and suffering you may have endured. We are committed to providing comprehensive legal support to ensure you receive the justice and financial relief you deserve. Don’t hesitate to contact us today for more information on your case and how we can help fight for your right to compensation after a car accident caused you to develop Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.