Workers’ Comp for Hand Injury: Do You Qualify?

If you ever hurt your hand or your fingers, you will learn pretty quickly just how dependent we are on our hands to do our jobs. Driving, lifting things up, writing or typing… these are all things we take for granted until we are hurt. If you’ve suffered a hand injury while on the job, you may be entitled to workers’ comp for a hand injury.

In this blog post, we’ll discuss what to do if you’ve injured your hand while on the job, and how you can file a workers’ comp for hand injury claim.

Workers’ Compensation for Hand Injuries

In North Carolina, workers’ compensation is generally available for those injured while on the job, if the employer has three or more full-time employees (there are some exceptions to this rule).

However, if you’re seeking workers’ comp for hand injury, it can be difficult to get workers’ compensation insurance carriers to pay your claim. Here are some things you should consider when seeking workers’ comp for a hand injury…

Seek Medical Care for a Hand Injury Suffered on the Job

If you have suffered a hand injury while at work, it is important that you get appropriate medical care. We rely on our hands to do so much — we can’t afford to have anything less than the best recovery.

Unfortunately, many people don’t realize that hands require specialized medical care. Many people will even tell you that they don’t think you should go to the doctor at all. Often, clients tell us they delayed seeking medical care for hand injuries because they thought a doctor really couldn’t do anything. In some cases, they even try taping their fingers together, or using a hand or wrist brace that they bought over the counter at Walgreens.

By the time you realize a hand injury needs medical attention, the condition may have worsened. In some cases, you may later find out that you had broken bones that have now healed improperly and need to be re-broken and reset.

Talk with a Specialist About Your Workplace Hand Injury

Hands are so important, and the medical treatment of them is so specialized, that there are now doctors that do nothing but treat hand injuries.

If you are hurt on the job, you will probably be directed to an urgent care center, or maybe to an emergency room. Maybe, if you are lucky, you will get referred to an orthopedist. But for very serious hand injuries, even a regular orthopedist might not be well enough equipped to properly diagnose and treat your injury.

There are physicians, and even entire practices, that do nothing but care for hand injuries, such as Raleigh Hand Canter.

Permanent Partial Impairment Ratings for Hand Injuries

Another reason that you want to see an experienced hand specialist if you’ve suffered a hand injury at work, is because you will probably receive a Permanent Partial Impairment Rating at some point during your workers’ comp claim.

This rating can be very important to your case.

As with all workers’ compensation claims, you’ll want to consider getting a second opinion on your rating from a physician of your own choosing.

But getting a second opinion is especially important for workers’ comp claims for hand injuries. This is because one doctor might assign a rating to one finger, or even to multiple fingers, but an experienced hand doctor might assign your rating to your entire hand. In the complicated world of North Carolina workers’ compensation law, a rating for your hand is usually worth far more in terms of compensation than a rating for your fingers.

A rating for your fingers can almost always be argued to really involve an injury to your entire hand. After all, if your fingers don’t let you grip things properly, you have lost use of your hand, even if your injury didn’t extend to your palm or wrist.

Have you injured your hand while on the job? Are you seeking workers’ compensation in North Carolina?

If you’re seeking workers’ comp for a hand injury suffered while on the job, our North Carolina workers’ comp lawyers can help.

Our team is led by two experienced Board-Certified Specialists in Workers’ Compensation who have been recognized by the NC State Bar for their experience and expertise handling these claims. Attorney Chris Brantley is a member of Million Dollar Advocates Forum in recognition of his case results, and attorney Adam Smith has been recognized by Super Lawyers and maintains a prestigious AV Preeminent rating from Martindale Hubbell — the highest rating for attorneys (see disclaimer below).

For a FREE consultation concerning your hand injury claim for workers’ compensation, please call 1-800-525-7111 or complete the short and easy form below.

“It was nice to see Riddle & Brantley put me and my needs first.”

–R. Colley, Riddle & Brantley client

There is never any obligation, and you won’t pay any attorney fees unless we win your case and you receive workers’ comp for your hand injury.

Justice Counts for North Carolinians injured while on the job and we would love to help however we can.

*** Disclaimer: An attorney must meet certain requirements to join these organizations or receive these awards. For more information on Membership Criteria for Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Super Lawyers, The National Trial Lawyers Top 100, The National Association of Distinguished Counsel, AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell, and the Litigator Award, please visit our Membership Criteria page. These awards and memberships should not be construed as a promise or guarantee of a similar result. Each case is different and must be evaluated separately.