Workplace injuries or accidents in high-risk career fields can often result in severe physical harm to an employee’s body. Whether you’re performing construction work, cleaning a commercial facility, or at the forefront of our country’s healthcare system, there are chances of bodily injury in almost any industry or occupation.
Contrary to what many believe, physical injuries aren’t the only issue members of the workforce face if they get hurt on the job. Mental and emotional ailments like depression, anxiety, or PTSD after an on-the-job accident are invisible but can be just as harmful as the most common workplace injuries.
When the toll on your mental health is too brutal to bear, bring in the competent team of Minnesota workplace injury attorneys at Mottaz & Sisk to help acquire workers’ compensation benefits that better your life.
Workplace Injuries Deserve Worker’s Compensation
If you’re injured on the job physically or mentally, states are typically required to provide some kind of supplemental income, enabling you to remain stable while you’re out of work. Mottaz & Sisk is a Minnesota workers’ compensation law firm, always looking for ways to secure our clients the compensation and benefits they deserve after an injury in the workplace.
Several industries are breeding grounds for back, neck, and head injuries, leading to prolonged periods of mental anguish. Construction sites, medical facilities, processing plants, and many other occupations require workers to complete hazardous tasks. Utilize the experienced workers’ compensation attorneys at Mottaz & Sisk Injury Law to assist you in obtaining the compensation you deserve after experiencing mental and physical injuries on the job.
Several instances of mental and physical injury on the job can qualify you to receive workers’ compensation benefits in the state you reside, such as:
- Slip and fall accidents
- Injuries in vehicle accidents
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Exposure to toxic chemicals that cause illness
- Chronic illnesses caused by occupational hazards
- Mental health issues due to work conditions or current situations (state-by-state basis)
The tricky thing about acquiring physical injuries on the job is the mental anguish that can often come with the original injury. The inability to work regularly, newfound financial strain, and potentially permanent loss of functions can make anyone feel extremely stressed out and overwhelmed. Contact the trusted Minnesota personal injury attorneys at Mottaz & Sisk to help make it through this challenging time. We can assist you in obtaining the workers’ compensation benefits you deserve due to mental and physical employment injuries.
Different Kinds of Mental Injury in the Workplace
Differentiating between physical and mental injuries in the workplace is a bit more nuanced than many might imagine. It’s far more challenging to prove mental injury than more obvious physical issues after an accident. Workers’ compensation coverage for mental injuries will vary, with each state creating individual requirements and regulations to qualify.
Minnesota workers’ compensation can cover mental work injuries or psychiatric/psychological conditions with the right attorney on your side. Covered mental health conditions may include chronic mental ailments such as depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder. Certain types of mental work injuries can entitle you to workers’ compensation through your employer.
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.
The Next Steps: Seeking Workers’ Compensation With Mottaz & Sisk
Undergoing any kind of physical or emotional pain from injuries in the workplace can be extremely exhausting, and the application for workers’ compensation after emotional injury might seem daunting. But don’t worry; many of the workplace injury lawyers at Mottaz & Sisk have been working in the industry for over 30 years, allowing us to provide high-quality legal services to people seeking workers’ compensation benefits after an emotional injury.
Take these few critical steps first before securing adequate legal counsel from an experienced personal injury attorney at Mottaz & Sisk:
- Report the injury to your employer
- Inform healthcare providers of any work-related injuries
- Follow your doctor’s recommendations carefully
- Provide employers with a written notice
- Record missed workdays, travel costs, and out-of-pocket expenses for medical needs
- Find a trusted workers’ compensation attorney at Mottaz & Sisk to help
Once you have all the required information in order, it’s time to take action. Work with the trusted Minnesota workers’ compensation attorneys at Mottaz & Sisk to craft a practical and effective course of action to secure benefits after a mental or emotional injury occurs. Call us at (763) 421-8226 for a free case evaluation or go online to schedule a consultation with one of our highly skilled Minnesota employment injury attorneys today.
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