Carpal tunnell--workman's comp?

[jessicajager]

What is the name of your state? Minnesota

My job has been very repetitive and I believe I have developed carpal tunnell from working there. I have only been there for 9 months but the pain was never this terrible!

I am thinking about claiming workman's comp but I don't think my boss will be happy about it. I don't even know how workman's comp works, but I need to do something here. My hands are getting so bad that I can barely use them. It hurts to do anything and they are just completely numb sometimes.

My only question is how to go about all this. Do I see a doctor on my own, or ask my boss to fill out the workman's comp paper work and see one of those quacks? I know that this is caused from working there, but I also worry that if I do mention workman's comp to my boss that they will try to bury it and I will be fighting a huge battle. I have heard many horror stories of injuries denied by workman's comp, I guess I just don't know where to start with this or what to do about it. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[Beth3]

You report your suspected injury to your supervisor and that you believe it was caused by your job. Then you ask what the company's process is for filing the WC claim with their carrier. There may be a safety specialist or someone in human resources who files and manages the worker's comp claims. Find out who that is and ask if you can speak with him or her.

What you need to find out is whether your State's WC reg's allow you to see a doctor of your choosing or whether you have to see a doctor your employer selects. (Assuming they'll send you to a "hack" is way off base, by the way.) If you'd rather research that on your own, contact MN's Worker's Compensation Division. This issue varies considerably by each State.

Your employer is obligated to file a claim with their WC carrier, once you report a suspected work injury. Employers are also specifically prohibited from retalliating against an employee for filing a WC claim.