Workers’ Compensation When a Work Injury Causes You PTSD

Before you find out if a worker can gain workers’ compensation benefits for PTSD, you must first understand what PTSD actually is. PTSD, or posttraumatic stress disorder, is a mental health problem that stems from a life-threatening event, such as when one witnesses a natural disaster, sexual assault, military combat, and more. Many people discover that they have PTSD when they seek medical help after experiencing upsetting memories, feeling on edge, or have insomnia months after the incident took place. If you experienced a devastating work injury, you may feel a re-experience of symptoms, be avoiding situations that remind you of the event, have negative feelings toward it, or feel hyperarousal such as always being on alert after the accident.

If you have experienced a work injury and believe that PTSD stemmed from it, one of the best actions that you can take is speaking to a psychiatrist or psychologist. To receive compensation for your ailments, you must receive an official diagnosis from either one of these professionals.

Making and Proving Your Claim

There are three types of claims that you may experience, such as physical-mental, mental-physical, and mental-mental. In the first case, a physical illness causes a mental illness like depression. In the second, a mental condition can cause a physical problem, such as high blood pressure from anxiety. Finally, in mental-mental, a psychological issue causes mental health problems. Mental-mental claims are most difficult to prove and harder to win.

In many cases, you may find that the insurance company in your case is skeptical of your claim. The insurance company will closely scrutinize your claim and try to dig up information to ensure that your PTSD is legitimate and stemmed from a workplace accident. This is why it is crucial to seek treatment as soon as possible. The nature and extent of your PTSD will determine if you qualify for benefits or medical reimbursement. This is why it is important to speak to an attorney today about what options you have in these delicate cases. Call us today to see if we can help you!