Depression & Workers’ Comp Claims
Physical injury isn’t the only way to receive workers’ compensation, depression or mental/emotional injury can sometimes qualify as a viable claim to receive benefits. Depression and anxiety disorders are extremely common in the United States. Mental or emotional injuries can significantly impair one’s ability to work.
In some cases, mental injuries, e.g. depression and anxiety, can be included in workers’ comp claims. If your workplace environment has triggered an existing depressive condition or it has caused you mental harm, know that you may be eligible to file a claim for workers’ compensation.
Common Types of Work-Related Depression Claims
Simply stating that your work is the cause of your stress and depression is not enough to qualify as an emotional injury. There are certain mental stress disorders that may result from frequently occurring incidents at work. These may include (but are not limited to) the following:
- Harassment on the job.
- Unreasonable work deadlines.
- Being constantly singled out by mangers for disciplinary actions.
- Constantly being pressured to work long hours.
- Physically or verbally abusive employers or coworkers.
Everyone reacts to stressful situations differently. Some individuals may better manage such events, while for others, it may trigger severe anxiety, stress, and depression.
Benefits Provided for Depression-Related Workers’ Comp Claims
Workers’ compensation offers different types of compensation as well as other benefits to aid injured employees while they recover from an injury that occurred because of work. For depression and emotional injuries, benefits could include the following:
- Medical care for the recovery.
- Lost wages in case you have to be absent from work because of your condition.
If your claim for depression-related workers’ comp is approved, all reasonable medical costs related to your psychiatric injury or mental stress should be covered. This includes any therapy, prescriptions, and other treatments your doctor may prescribe.
How to Make a Workers’ Comp Claim for Depression
Generally, there are two key factors to making a workers’ comp claim for depression or mental injury:
- The source of the work-related depression is easily recognizable.
- The depression has had a deep impact on your life.
To file a depression and anxiety workers’ comp claim, you must prove that you are suffering from a mental condition that qualifies as an ‘injury’. Proving that you are receiving treatment for your mental condition is a good indicator that you are suffering from it. If you didn’t seek medical treatment for your work-related anxiety, then you are likely to find it very difficult to prove your case.
Seeking medical advice and help is crucial. Because if you fail to do this in a timely manner, it can be very challenging to get the right help and may impact your workers’ comp claim.
Hilton & Somer, LLC: Virginia, Maryland and Washington, DC Workers Compensation Attorney
Depression can make even the easiest task feel impossible. If you have suffered a mental or emotional injury as a result of work stress, you may be entitled to compensation. Help is available. Get in touch with the Workers Compensation Attorneys at Hilton & Somer, LLC today to discuss your case. You can reach us through our online contact form, or by calling (703) 560-0700.
References
https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/facts-statistics
https://www.findlaw.com/legalblogs/personal-injury/can-you-get-workers-comp-for-depression/
