A class action lawsuit has been filed against the power tool company for allegedly violating the Americans with Disabilities Act by denying job applicants employment after failing a carpal tunnel syndrome prediction test. The suit was filed in Federal Court in Tennessee and claims applicants were offered job positions at the Black & Decker manufacturing plant subject to passing a medical exam.
A company doctor stimulates forearm nerves that control hand muscles and predicts the likelihood of developing carpal tunnel syndrome. If applicants failed the exam, they were denied employment for the highly wrist sensitive job. The nerve conduction study predicts if a person is likely to develop carpal tunnel syndrome, a disabling wrist and hand injury caused by repetitive motion.
