Headaches can range from mildly annoying to majorly debilitating, and when they arise in the office, they can make it hard to get your work done. But if they develop in the office, could you potentially win a workers’ compensation award if they keep you out of work a few times throughout the year? In today’s blog, we explain if migraines and debilitating headaches would be covered by workers’ compensation in Minnesota.
Are Headaches Covered By Workers’ Comp?
Headaches could certainly be considered a medical issue that would be eligible for workers’ compensation, but in many instances they wouldn’t meet the necessary standards. Simply put, a headache that develops at work, even if it forces you to head home and spend some time away from the office, likely would not qualify for workers’ compensation benefits.
After all, headaches can develop for a number of different reasons. Headaches can be brought on by poor sleep, by inadequate nutrition or hydration, by reactions to chemicals and light, or because you had a few too many alcoholic beverages the night before. Migraines can also develop because of stress, an upcoming performance review or the prospect of having to give a presentation to the board of directors. Even though these reasons are connected to your employment, they still would not meet the threshold for collecting workers’ compensation for your health issues. You would have to prove that your headaches are primarily caused by your work duties, and that’s almost impossible to do without a specific moment of injury that you can point to. In these situations, it’s probably best to improve your water intake, eat a healthier diet, prioritize sleep, invest in blue-light glasses or find healthy ways to manage the stress in your life.
However, there are situations where headaches and migraines would be included in a valid workers’ compensation claim. If headaches are a symptom of an acute injury that you experienced at work, you may have a valid claim. For example, let’s say that you were struck in the head by equipment while working on the assembly line. You visited a doctor who diagnosed you with a concussion, and ever since you’ve been experiencing symptoms like sensitivity to light, headaches or general fatigue. These symptoms don’t need to develop at work in order to include them in a workers’ compensation claim. As long as your doctor believes that your symptoms are the direct result of the original work injury, then you’d have a valid workers’ compensation claim that includes compensation for the headaches you’re experiencing.
In most instances where headaches are part of an injury claim, they are a symptom of a physical injury at the office, but not always. If you witnessed a traumatizing accident or were involved in a car accident while traveling to a job site and your doctor believes psychological stress from these incidents are playing a role in your headache onset, you may be able to include these conditions in your injury claim.
So while the development of headaches in the workplace would rarely rise to the level of workers’ compensation eligibility, their presence as a symptom of a verifiable work injury would meet the standard. In these instances, your best move is to connect with a workers’ compensation attorney who can make a strong argument showcasing the connection between your work injury and the neurological symptoms that you’re experiencing.
The team at Hey Workers is here to assist with your workers’ compensation claim. Whether you need help building a strong case or you’re simply wondering if you have a valid claim, we want to help you get the answers and compensation you deserve. If headaches are becoming more common and you’re wondering if they are tied to a recent or past work injury, connect with our team and let’s get to work securing every penny you deserve. For more information, or for help with a different type of worker’s compensation claim, connect with the team at Hey Workers today at (844) 439-9675.
