The law differentiates between mental injuries and places them into three categories:
- Mental/Physical – The mental work injury causes additional physical damage (i.e., heart attacks, ulcers, GERD, etc.)
- Physical/Mental – Physical injuries cause the mental health issue
- Mental/Mental – High-stress situations or mental stimulus causes a mental health issue
Mental/Physical
Sometimes, stressful situations can induce an immediate or prolonged physical reaction like a heart attack, stomach ulcers, a stroke, or far worse. We see these types of injuries in risky, high-stress jobs such as law enforcement and emergency services personnel. Mental/physical injuries can be compensable, but there must be adequate medical evidence proving the physical condition or reaction was a direct result of mental stress in the workplace.
At Mottaz & Sisk, one of our Minnesota personal injury attorneys can assist in finding a well-respected medical professional to evaluate your physical and mental condition, determining if there is any correlation. Once it’s established that your injuries are due to the stressors of overwhelming working conditions, our team of workplace injury lawyers can begin the process of applying for workers’ compensation with you.
Physical/Mental
Experiencing a physical injury on the job often results in a related mental health condition. Workers’ compensation benefits will be responsible for covering these mental health issues if they affect your ability to work. Even in cases where employees have a pre-existing mental illness, workers’ comp can cover the current issue as long as the physical injury aggravated, accelerated, or worsened the pre-existing condition.
Again, under these circumstances, the work injury itself still needs to be a substantial contributing factor or cause to your mental disability. The lawyers at Mottaz & Sisk can help evaluate your situation to see if the physical/mental injuries are significant enough to call for workers’ compensation coverage.
Mental/Mental
One of the more controversial and significantly scrutinized areas in workers’ compensation benefits is coverage of mental/mental injuries. As the name implies, these injuries only involve mental health issues unrelated to any physical ailments.
At this time, Minnesota, unfortunately, does not recognize all kinds of mental/mental injuries. Currently, the only type of issue covered under workers’ compensation benefits is PTSD or post-traumatic stress disorder. However, benefit requirements outline that any of the following circumstances cannot cause your PTSD:
- Disciplinary actions
- Work evaluations
- Job transfers
- Layoffs
- Demotions
- Promotions
- Terminations
- Retirement
- Other similar employment actions
To receive the workers’ compensation benefits you deserve, an accredited physician must provide an appropriate and accurate diagnosis. Mottaz & Sisk can help you secure a licensed medical professional and take the necessary next steps to receive workers’ compensation after a mental/mental injury occurs on the job. Contact Mottaz & Sisk now to learn more about our Minnesota workers’ compensation application assistance and secure the benefits you need to navigate this challenging phase of your life.