Our Attorneys Can Help You with Psychological Injuries
Depending on the circumstances, Minnesota workers’ compensation law covers psychological injuries. The key to compensability are physical injuries causing some sort of psychological trauma, or psychological stress causing some sort of physical trauma. Some high stress occupations can also lead to physical injuries such as ulcers and heart problems. The most common type of psychological injury compensable under workers compensation is depression caused by the physical pain from an injury.
Being unable to work due to a workplace injury can be a stressful situation. You depend on your paycheck to provide for yourself and your family. In addition, some workers find it difficult to adjust to a prolonged period away from their jobs after an injury. This is what workers comp refers to as mental stress causing a mental trauma. Unfortunately, this type of mental injury is not compensable under Minnesota work comp rules.
What Psychological Injuries Does Work Comp Cover?
If you suffer a physical injury on the job and find it difficult to deal with the pain day in and day out, you might experience symptoms of depression. Workers’ compensation covers the work injury and the resulting depression, as long as the work injury was a substantial contributing factor.
If your high stress occupation leads to physical ailments such as ulcers, you can file a claim under Minnesota workers’ comp law. You have to show that your job caused extreme stress and not just the ordinary stress that most people experience in the workforce.
Minnesota Does Not Cover All Psychological Injuries
If your job-related stress results in a mental injury such as a nervous breakdown, you cannot file a workers’ comp claim in Minnesota. Our state legislature might pass legislation in the future to recognize these types of injuries, but as of now, they are not compensable under current workers’ comp law.
Workers’ compensation regulations are complex and no one expects you to navigate the process alone. Our law firm has proven results in workers’ comp cases, and experience is a touchstone of our practice. We will keep you informed about your case along the way, and we will never make decisions without your input.
Free Consultation
If you or a loved one has suffered a workplace injury, Heimerl & Lammers will take control of the workers’ comp case while you focus on getting better. Call us at (612) 294-2200 or (651) 777-1811 to schedule your free consultation at our Minneapolis or Saint Paul office. You can also fill out the contact form on this site.