Working as a police officer can be a very physically and psychologically demanding job, and it appears that officers in Minneapolis are feeling those effects in greater numbers in the last year. It goes without saying that it has been a tumultuous year between police officers and the community in the wake of the murder of George Floyd by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, but it’s clear that everything that’s happened in the last year is taking it’s toll on local police.
According to recent data, the Minneapolis City Council has approved 16 workers’ compensation settlements to city employees since George Floyd’s death, with payouts ranging from $90,000 to $250,000. However, there are hundreds of claims that still need to be heard, and some estimates suggest that the bill for these claims could be north of $30 million. Because Minneapolis is self-insured, Minneapolis residents effectively pay for these costs through taxes and fees.
While cost is always a focal point, perhaps the most concerning aspect of the recent workers’ compensation claims among city employees and police is the stark increase in claims we’ve seen of late. The total number of claims jumped more than 59 percent from 2019 to 2020, with claims rising significantly in the second half of the year after Floyd’s murder.
Workers’ Compensation For Police Officers
When we take a closer look at the recent claims, a theme starts to present itself. While some claims are for physical injuries suffered in the line of duty, the majority are disability claims related to post-traumatic stress disorder. As we discussed in a previous blog, Minnesota passed legislation in 2013 that allowed public employees and other qualifying individuals to file for and collect workers’ compensation for post-traumatic stress disorder so long as their job and their job duties played a significant role in the onset of the condition.
As you might imagine, it’s not all that difficult to make a connection between an officer’s job duties and the mental anguish they are dealing with. In many instances, officers want to return to the line of duty, but their symptoms could worsen when exposed to traumatic and stressful situations, which could be problematic for all involved.
It’s important to take care of both your physical and mental health, and to ensure you get the help you need if your job is causing a breakdown of either. A workers’ compensation claim can help you do just that. Workers’ compensation can help provide some financial stability while you step away and get counseling or treat underlying anxiety and stress that may be taking a toll on your physical or mental health.
If you’re wondering where to turn to begin a PTSD or related mental anguish claim, look no further than the team at Hey Workers. We’ve been helping clients collect compensation and get the help they need to recover from work-related mental health issues since the law was put in pace nearly a decade ago, and we can do the same for you. If you’d like to learn more about PTSD injury claims, or you want to talk to an attorney to see if you potentially have a case, reach out to the team at Hey Workers today at (844) 439-9675.
