Workers Compensation And Mental Injuries – What You Need To Know And Why You May Need Help
It's possible to seek workers compensation for non-physical injuries, but it's not always easy. Any workplace can create mental strains, stress, and anxieties. These can become psychological conditions that require treatment. Here's what you need to know about how workers compensation works with psychological injuries.
What is a Mental Injury?
It's important to understand what constitutes a mental or psychological injury. It's not enough to have a vague feeling of anxiety or the occasional emotional reaction to something at work. However, if these things occur frequently and persist, it's possible you have a mental injury.
The stressing nature of your job can create a mental condition, and so can the actual job duties themselves. Negligence at the workplace can create or contribute to mental injury as well. This is especially true of situations and conditions an employer can rectify but chooses not to.
Types of Mental Injuries
If a non-physical condition affects your life and ability to work, then it's likely a mental injury. Here are some things that fall under the mental injury category:
- PTSD
- Stress and anxiety
- Depression
- Constant mental fatigue
- Mood disorders
Other conditions fit into the mental injury category as well. It's a good idea to seek a professional's opinion if you're having any difficulties that affect your mental health.
How Does Workers Compensation Handle Mental Injuries?
With no obvious physical injury, it's sometimes difficult to prove a mental injury occurred because of, or while performing, job duties. In addition, the nature of some mental injuries isn't always straightforward. For example, some mental disorders manifest gradually over time.
The burden of proving your claim of mental injury is on you. Seeking a medical diagnosis will help the most and will become a requirement for filing a claim. A medical professional can also help you figure out how your condition may tie into your workplace and workplace duties.
Your medical records can help as well. For example, your medical records can show there was a time when the psychological condition didn't exist. That can help establish a timeline and prove your current job is the cause of your condition.
Everyone's situation is different, though there is one thing most people should do. If you want to give your claim the best chance to succeed, you should enlist help. A workers comp attorney can help you navigate the sometimes difficult and complicated path towards claiming the benefits you need.
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