Carpal Tunnel Injuries in Washington Auto Accidents

We normally hear of carpal tunnel injuries resulting through repetitive actions, such as typing. However, as an experienced Seattle car accident lawyer, I have seen many cases of carpal tunnel resulting from an auto accident. Gripping the steering wheel hard during a Washington car accident, such as when you know the impact is coming and have an opportunity to brace or tense up, can cause severe damage to the nerves and soft tissue of the wrist and forearm. This situation can cause several points of damage, only one of which being the carpal ligament.

Usually, carpal tunnel syndrome is a progressive condition caused by repetitive actions of the hand and wrist. However, in my experience as a Washington Personal Injury Lawyer I have seen real life examples and found supporting studies that show that an overly tight grip on the wheel in a front- or rear-end car collision can alsocause carpal tunnel syndrome. The underlying situation is that the medial nerve, which runs down the forearm and into the hand, is being impinged in some manner.

Symptoms of this condition include a tingling sensation, numbness, or pain in the hand and fingers. Patients also often comment of reduced grip strength. Non-surgical treatments such as medication and exercises are always attempted first for at least six months before surgical possibilities are considered. The surgical procedure consists of a two to three inch incision at the wrist on the palm side. The carpal ligament is then cut which allows the surgeon to examine the status of the underlying tendons. If the tendons are overly thick, they can be removed to allow the medial nerve more space and thus less possibility of impingement and pain.

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