Injuries sustained on the job do both emotional and physical damage to the sufferer and their family. If you are a worker who has become disabled due to a workplace accident, you may need help with everyday tasks you used to do on your own like going to the toilet, preparing your meals, getting dressed, and more. Also, a serious workplace injury can have you living with worries and stresses as you think about your inability to work and the devastating financial effect it could bring. If you are mainly suffering from mental health damage, you might be wondering if you are still eligible for worker’s compensation benefits. Thankfully, the answer is yes and you can learn more about the process by consulting with a workers’ comp attorney.
A workplace injury’s impact on your psychological health is quite real and leads to serious harm to you. It can affect your daily life. You can recover benefits for on-the-job psychological damage due to an extreme or unusual event even if you do not sustain a physical injury. But because of the invisible nature of this kind of injury, it becomes a target for employers and insurance providers who are trying to find ways to reduce or deny you the necessary benefits.
Work-related Depression
Depression is common in workers who sustained injuries on the job. Their risk of this psychological condition increases in the months after a physical work-related injury. And because depression can compound the negative impacts of physical injuries, recovery will take longer, reducing an injured worker’s chances of returning to their level of function before the injury. Consequently, this significantly increases workers’ comp costs. Injured workers can also suffer from other psychological disorders like anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Filing a Workers’ Comp Claim
If you suffered serious emotional or psychological trauma because of a workplace injury or condition, you must explore your workers’ comp claim options. The benefits you may get for your injury will be determined based on some factors. These include a psychological exam by a mental health expert, your family, educational, and mental health history, as well as testimony from experts.
The workers’ comp process is complicated and daunting to handle on your own. You need a qualified workers’ comp attorney to guide and advise you every step of the way. Through their help, you have a greater chance of getting the full amount of compensation you are entitled to.