Carpal Tunnel Surgery Awarded to Single Mother After Express Scripts Denies Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Was Related to Employment
Christopher Geldmacher, a partner at the Sauter Sullivan law firm, accepted a Workers’ Compensation claim for a single working mother who developed Carpal Tunnel Syndrome during her employment at Express Scripts, a St. Louis based company. Her duties involved continuous typing, and she was required to meet stringent production quotas which placed more stress on her hands. When she asked her employer to take care of her condition, Express Scripts denied that her Carpal Tunnel Syndrome was related to her employment. Mr. Geldmacher argued that the woman’s Carpal Tunnel Syndrome was caused by her employment. Express Scripts wouldn’t budge in their position, and a hearing, work comp’s version of a trial, was necessary.
After considering the arguments presented by Mr. Geldmacher, the Workers’ Compensation judge ruled in favor of the employee and ordered Express Scripts to pay for her Carpal Tunnel surgery and for her time off of work during her recovery. After the woman’s treatment was complete and she was paid for her time off of work, Mr. Geldmacher got Express Scripts to pay a settlement of $25,000.