It’s no secret that work has the potential to be stressful. You go to work every day of the week, and sometimes you have to work overtime. You miss out on things you want to do during the week when you can’t get off, and you have to work hard to make ends meet. All the stress of a job has the potential to cause significant emotional distress, and that stress can result in mental health issues.
Although some people believe that stress itself isn’t enough to get workers’ compensation, that’s not true. Stress can lead to a claim if you can show that the cause of stress is work related, if it’s above the normal levels expected in your position and if you’ve suffered a permanent impairment because of it.
Here’s a good example. Imagine going to work in a factory. You work with large knives and machinery every day. One day, you see a coworker get killed by being pulled into the machinery. The stress caused in that moment leads you to develop post-traumatic stress disorder.
Normally, a person working that job would never be under so much stress, and it’s clear that your symptoms are a result of trauma. In your case, a workers’ compensation claim is possible, and you can seek out a claim.
Stress-related claims do require a higher burden of proof, so it’s a good idea to work with your attorney to gather evidence to support your injuries. With doctors’ diagnoses and letters, evidence of excessive stress on the job and other information, you can make a claim to get what you need to recover.
