ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, January 26, 1997 TAG: 9701240104
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
Carpal tunnel syndrome cases make up a small part of the caseload of the Virginia workers' compensation system
Virginia paid $300 million worth of benefits in 27,359 cases which were closed in 1995, only about 1 percent of which, or $3.4 million, went to carpal tunnel syndrome sufferers. People who suffered strains received the most as a group - $84.3 million.
Virginia awarded benefits in 30,500 new workers' compensation cases opened in 1995, of which less than 1 percent, or 277 cases, involved sufferers of carpal tunnel syndrome.
About 6.8 million workers in U.S. private industry were injured on the job or reported a work-caused illness in 1994. Of that total, about one-thirteenth of the cases involved ailments classified as illnesses. Cumulative trauma disorders made up 65 percent of the illness category - 332,000 cases were reported - and cumulative trauma disorders were by far the fastest-growing type of illness.
(Source: Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission)
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