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Vibration injuries qualify for workers’ compensation

On Behalf of | Sep 8, 2022 | Work Injuries |

Many different hand tools can cause debilitating injuries with which many people are unfamiliar. Tools that vibrate can result in long-term conditions for Minnesota workers who use these devices over months or even years. Injuries from these tools can qualify for workers’ compensation claims.

What is vibration white finger?

Chances are you haven’t heard of vibration white finger, also called VWF, but you may have suffered its symptoms. VWF causes numbness or tingling of the fingers, accompanied by whitening of the fingertips. Once you have it, you have it as there is no remedy. However, you can prevent it. VWF is a vascular condition that affects the blood vessels in the body’s extremities. At least one report in the European Research Journal indicates that VWF may result from repeated exposure to vibration, while emotional stress can also trigger it. As the syndrome progresses, it can affect muscles, bones, joints and the nervous system.

Additional symptoms of VWF include:

• Numbness in the fingers

• Tingling in the hands and fingers

• Loss of hand and arm strength

• Difficulty picking up small objects

• Pain in the thumb when gripping

• Hand muscle weakness

The syndrome can develop in one or both hands. Typical tools that can lead to VWK include:

• Hand drills

• Rotary saws

• Hiigh-pressure water hoses

• Concrete breakers

• Disc cutters

• Road rollers

• Jackhammers

• Chainsaws

Getting compensation for on-the-job injuries

On-the-job injuries can run the gamut from typical to rare, but if they occur as a result of your job, they qualify for workers’ compensation. You can qualify for a wide range of benefits, even if the injury has occurred over years of work, as VWF injuries often do.

Such injuries, especially those that occur over time, should be confirmed by a doctor who can diagnose and confirm the symptoms. A firm diagnosis and a prognosis of your condition are essential for all injuries sustained on the job. Determining your injury and how it has affected daily living will help you prove that you have a work-related condition that deserved compensation from your company’s workers’ compensation insurance.

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