Carpal Tunnel and Repetitive Stress Injuries in New Jersey
Carpal tunnel syndrome and other repetitive stress injuries (RSIs) develop gradually through years of typing, assembly line work, repetitive bending and reaching, or other repeated motions on the job. New Jersey workers’ compensation treats these conditions as occupational diseases, meaning employees in offices, warehouses, and manufacturing plants throughout the state qualify for medical care and wage replacement when the work caused the harm.
Our work injury attorneys at The Law Offices of Matarazzo & Lubcher regularly help workers injured by repetitive movements.
Legal Steps to Protect Your Rights
A claim for an occupational disease like carpal tunnel requires careful attention to procedure from the very first symptoms. Whether the condition appears in your wrists, shoulders, elbows, or back, taking the right legal steps early protects your eligibility for benefits under New Jersey law.
Immediate Reporting
New Jersey requires written notice to your employer once you become aware that a medical condition is connected to your work within 90 days. Reporting the injury promptly creates a clear record. It also prevents the insurance carrier from later disputing whether the condition arose from job duties.
Seek Authorized Medical Treatment
Your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance carrier has the right to direct medical care under New Jersey law. Treatment must be provided by an authorized provider for the cost to be covered, except in genuine emergencies. Visiting an unauthorized doctor without permission can leave you responsible for the bills and weaken the medical evidence supporting your claim.
File a Formal Claim
Filing a Claim Petition with the New Jersey Division of Workers’ Compensation opens the door to the full range of benefits available for occupational disease cases. Once accepted, your claim may produce several types of compensation depending on the severity of the condition:
- Medical Treatment: Coverage for surgery, nerve conduction studies, splints, physical therapy, and prescriptions.
- Temporary Disability: Wage replacement equal to seventy percent of average weekly earnings during recovery.
- Permanent Disability: Compensation for lasting impairment to the affected body part based on a percentage rating.
Document Everything
Thorough documentation helps establish the link between your job duties and your medical condition, which is often the key issue in repetitive stress claims. Keep records of the following throughout your case:
- Job descriptions and daily work tasks
- Symptoms and the dates they began
- Medical appointments and treatment notes
- Communications with your employer and insurance carrier
- Time missed from work
- Out-of-pocket medical expenses
- Witness statements from coworkers familiar with your duties
Get Legal Counsel
Carpal tunnel and repetitive stress injury claims are frequently denied or undervalued because insurance carriers question whether the condition is truly work-related. Under New Jersey workers’ compensation law, occupational diseases and non-acute injuries arising from the characteristic conditions of employment qualify for full benefits. Our attorneys help injured workers establish that link through:
- Medical expert testimony
- Job duty analysis
- Functional capacity evaluations
- Proper claim petition filing
- Negotiation with insurance carriers
- Hearing representation before a workers’ compensation judge
Don’t Suffer in Silence: Legal Options for NJ Workers
A repetitive stress injury can rob you of your ability to perform basic tasks, earn a living, and enjoy time with your family. Call Matarazzo & Lubcher at 856-460-5805 or contact us online to schedule your free consultation with our workers’ compensation lawyers in New Jersey who can build a strong case linking your job duties to your medical condition, dispute denied benefits, and pursue the compensation you are owed.