Atlanta Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Lawyer

If you’ve been involved in an accident in Georgia and are now experiencing persistent wrist or hand pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness, it’s crucial not to dismiss these symptoms as they could be signs of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS), a condition that can be directly caused or significantly worsened by the trauma of an accident. Schedule a free consultation at 404-975-1775 today to see how we can help you.

Many people associate Carpal Tunnel Syndrome primarily with repetitive motions like typing. However, the physical forces involved in accidents frequently lead to this painful nerve condition. It’s common after an accident for individuals to focus on obvious injuries, sometimes overlooking or delaying treatment for these later-developing wrist and hand issues. Adrenaline and the initial shock can mask pain, and you might attribute the discomfort to general soreness. This delay can complicate recovery and potentially impact your legal rights, which is why you should call our Atlanta Carpal Tunnel Syndrome lawyers for your free consultation at 404-975-1775 today to see how we can help you.

Understanding Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Caused by Accidents

What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a condition affecting the hand and wrist. It occurs when the median nerve, one of the main nerves supplying feeling and movement to the hand, becomes compressed or squeezed as it passes through a narrow passageway in the wrist called the carpal tunnel. When pressure builds up inside the carpal tunnel, it irritates and compresses the median nerve, disrupting its function and leading to the characteristic and painful symptoms of CTS.

Beyond Repetitive Strain: How Accidents Trigger CTS

While repetitive hand motions are a well-known risk factor, traumatic injuries from accidents are a significant, often overlooked, cause of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. A direct blow to the wrist, common in falls or impacts within a vehicle during a crash, can cause immediate injury to the structures within the carpal tunnel. This impact can lead to bleeding, bruising, and significant swelling of the soft tissues inside this confined space, causing the carpal tunnel to  dramatically increase the pressure within the tunnel and directly squeezing the median nerve,  potentially restricting its blood supply (ischemia).

Accidents, particularly falls onto an outstretched hand or forceful impacts during car crashes, frequently cause wrist fractures or dislocations of the small carpal bones. These injuries can directly cause CTS in several ways: bone fragments can push into the carpal tunnel, the alignment of the bones can shift reducing the tunnel’s size, or the healing process itself (callus formation) can encroach on the nerve’s space.

It’s important to recognize that accident-related CTS can manifest in two primary ways. Acute CTS can be onset right away, whereas other CTS injuries could take weeks or months to show any symptoms at all. This potential delay underscores why it’s vital to have attorneys by your side like the Atlanta Carpal Tunnel Syndrome lawyers who understand the complexities of your injuries.

Recognizing the Symptoms of Accident-Induced CTS

Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, whether from trauma or other causes, typically affect the hand and wrist, and sometimes the forearm. Be aware of the following signs, especially if they develop after an accident in Georgia:

• Pain: Aching or sharp pain may occur in the wrist, palm, or fingers, and can sometimes radiate up the forearm.
• Nighttime Symptoms: Symptoms are frequently worse at night and may awaken you from sleep. Shaking the hand or wrist sometimes provides temporary relief.
• Thenar Muscle Atrophy: In long-standing or severe cases, the muscles at the base of the thumb may visibly shrink or waste away.

Because symptoms like numbness and tingling can sometimes stem from other issues, such as problems in the neck or other nerve conditions , obtaining an accurate diagnosis is critical for your treatment and any potential legal claim. Receiving medical care soon after your accident is imperative to not only clear you of any injuries that are not immediately obvious to you, but also for your compensation claim, as medical records are used to prove negligence and the severity of your injuries. After you receive medical care, you should contact our Atlanta Carpal Tunnel Syndrome lawyers as soon as possible to understand your claim and get your compensation.

Common Georgia Accidents the Atlanta Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Lawyers Encounter

Accidents are an unfortunate reality on Georgia’s roads, in workplaces, and on public and private properties. Understanding the types of accidents most likely to cause the wrist trauma leading to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome can help you recognize the potential connection if you develop symptoms.

• Car Accidents
• Falls
• Workplace Accidents

Navigating Your Legal Rights in Georgia for Accident-Induced CTS

If you’ve developed Carpal Tunnel Syndrome after an accident in Georgia caused by someone else’s carelessness, you may have the right to seek compensation for your injuries and losses. That is where our  Atlanta Carpal Tunnel Syndrome lawyers can help you understand your rights and fight for your compensation.

Proving Fault: Establishing Negligence in Georgia

Most personal injury claims, including those for accident-induced CTS, are based on the legal concept of negligence. Simply put, negligence means that someone had a responsibility to act with reasonable care to avoid harming others, they failed to meet that responsibility, and their failure directly caused your injury and resulting damages.

To successfully pursue a claim, you generally need to establish four key elements:

1. Duty: The person or entity you believe caused the accident (the defendant) owed you a legal duty of care. For example, drivers have a duty to operate their vehicles safely and obey traffic laws; property owners have a duty to maintain their premises in a reasonably safe condition for visitors.
2. Breach: The defendant breached or violated that duty of care through a careless act or omission. Examples include a driver running a red light, a store owner failing to clean up a spill promptly, or an employer providing unsafe equipment.
3. Causation: The defendant’s breach of duty was the direct and proximate cause of the accident, and the accident, in turn, caused or significantly aggravated your Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. This link between the negligent act, the accident, and your specific injury must be clearly demonstrated.
4. Damages: You suffered actual harm or losses as a result of the injury. These can include medical expenses, lost income, pain, suffering, and other related costs.

Georgia’s Comparative Negligence Law: What if You Were Partially At Fault?

In many accidents, fault isn’t entirely one-sided. Georgia law addresses situations where the injured person may also bear some responsibility for the accident through a system called “Modified Comparative Negligence.” This law has two critical components:

1. The 50% Bar Rule: If you are found to be 50 percent or more at fault for the accident that caused your injuries, Georgia law completely bars you from recovering any compensation from the other party. This is a strict threshold, and reaching or exceeding it means your claim fails.
2. Proportional Reduction: If your percentage of fault is determined to be less than 50 percent (i.e., 0% to 49%), you can still recover damages. However, your total compensation award will be reduced proportionally by your percentage of fault. For example, if your total damages are calculated at $100,000, but you are found to be 20% at fault, your recoverable amount would be reduced by 20% ($20,000), resulting in a final award of $80,000.

Because of Georgia’s strict 50% bar, how fault is assessed is incredibly important. Insurance companies often try to shift as much blame as possible onto the injured party to reduce or eliminate their payout liability. Even seemingly minor contributions to the accident could potentially push your fault percentage towards the critical 50% mark. This makes having experienced legal representation by our Atlanta Carpal Tunnel Syndrome lawyers essential to investigate the accident thoroughly, gather evidence, and effectively argue against unfair allocations of fault.

Time is Limited: Georgia’s Statute of Limitations

For most personal injury cases in Georgia, including those involving accident-induced Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, the law requires you to file your lawsuit within two years from the date the injury occurred.

Missing this two-year deadline has severe consequences: your claim will almost certainly be dismissed by the court, and you will permanently lose your right to seek compensation for your injuries, no matter how strong your case might otherwise be.

The Challenge of Proving Accident-Caused CTS

Successfully recovering compensation for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome after an accident requires overcoming specific challenges, primarily related to proving causation. Insurance companies are often skeptical of these claims and may argue that your CTS stems from other causes, like your job duties, a pre-existing condition, or simply aging, rather than the accident itself.

This is where our experienced Atlanta Carpal Tunnel Syndrome lawyers will establish a clear causal link between the accident’s trauma and your CTS, which is paramount for your case to succeed.. This requires meticulous documentation and strong evidence, including:

• Prompt Medical Attention: Seeking medical evaluation soon after the accident and reporting all symptoms, including any pain, numbness, or tingling in your wrists or hands, even if they seem minor at first, is crucial. Delaying treatment or failing to mention wrist symptoms early on can make it harder to connect them to the accident later.
• Consistent Medical Records: Your medical records serve as a vital timeline. They should document the onset and progression of your CTS symptoms, the diagnostic process (including objective tests like EMG/NCS confirming CTS ), the treatments received, and, ideally, your doctor’s opinion linking the condition to the traumatic event.
• Addressing Delayed Onset: If your symptoms didn’t appear immediately, it’s critical to document exactly when they did start and work with your doctors and legal counsel to demonstrate how the delayed onset is consistent with the type of injury sustained in the accident

The combination of Georgia’s strict two-year statute of limitations and the inherent challenges in proving causation for a condition like CTS, especially if symptoms are delayed or pre-existing factors are present, creates significant time pressure. Victims need to recognize potential symptoms, seek diagnosis, gather evidence, and consult with the Atlanta Carpal Tunnel Syndrome lawyers promptly to avoid jeopardizing their right to compensation.

Why Trust the Atlanta Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Lawyers with Your Georgia CTS Claim?

Merritt & Merritt Law Firm is dedicated to helping Georgians who find themselves in this challenging situation. Our Atlanta Carpal Tunnel Syndrome lawyers have extensive experience representing clients in a wide range of personal injury cases across Georgia. If you’ve been in an accident in Georgia and are experiencing symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, don’t dismiss them or assume you don’t have a case.

Our Atlanta Carpal Tunnel Syndrome lawyers offer a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss the specifics of your accident and injuries. Let us help you understand your rights and how we can assist you. Contact Merritt & Merritt Law Firm today at 404-975-1775. This initial conversation costs you nothing and provides a clear path forward to getting the answers and help you need, especially valuable when dealing with the uncertainty surrounding delayed-onset symptoms like CTS.