When we think of collecting workers’ compensation, we oftentimes associate a successful claim with an injury like a broken arm or a herniated disc in your spine. Physical injuries do make up the vast majority of successful workers’ compensation claims, but they are not the only type of compensable injury in Minnesota. In certain instances, you may be eligible to collect workers’ compensation for psychological injuries, including issues like anxiety or depression.
As you might imagine, these claims aren’t easy to prove, but we’re more than happy to help you pursue one of these injury claims should we believe you have a legitimate claim. In today’s blog, we explore some of the compensable types of psychological injuries in Minnesota.
Collecting Workers’ Compensation For Mental Health Disorders
In general, Minnesota allows for the collection of workers’ compensation payments for mental health conditions when one of three conditions are met. Let’s take a closer look at these three conditions.
1. Mental Health Causing Physical Injury– You may be eligible to pursue a psychological workers’ compensation claim if a mental health issue contributed to a physical injury. In order to win this type of claim, you need to prove that your mental health condition directly contributed to your physical injury, and that your mental stress was above and beyond standard stress that could accompany the demands of your job. For example, a postal worker couldn’t collect for mental health damages because they slipped on a patch of ice while hurrying to deliver mail because they were stressed they were behind schedule. They would be eligible for workers’ compensation for their physical injuries, but some stress is a normal part of employment. You must prove that the mental stress you were exposed to went above and beyond the day-to-day stress all employees are subjected to during the course of employment. Finally, you need to be officially diagnosed with a mental health condition by a physician, and be treated independently from your physical injury in order to have a valid psychological injury claim.
2. Physical Injury Causing Mental Health Issue– If you suffer a physical injury at work, and the fallout from the injury or recovery contributes to the onset of a mental health condition, you may be eligible for an additional psychological injury claim. For example, let’s say that a freak work accident caused you to lose three fingers. This renders you unable to work your current job and spills over into your personal life, as you now struggle to do other activities you enjoy like basketball or playing the guitar. As a result, you become clinically depressed. If your doctor concludes that your depression is a direct result of the physical work injuries you suffered, you may have grounds to collect compensation for your mental health disorder.
5. Mental Health Causing A Mental Health Injury – The third type of compensation option is the least common in Minnesota, and it’s generally hard to earn compensation for a mental health condition that arises from mental stress. For example, you’re not going to be able to collect a compensation award because you’re depressed that you don’t really enjoy your job. These types of cases are only really winnable if you have a documented case of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder stemming from work-related mental stress. Again, this stress needs to go above and beyond the day-to-day stress you might experience on the job. However, if you saw a co-worker suffer a severe injury, or you’re a police officer who witnessed someone commit suicide, you may be eligible for this type of workers’ compensation if you are clinically diagnosed with PTSD and your treating physician believes your work duties played a significant role in the onset of the condition.
With any of these issues, it’s going to be very difficult to prove a real connection between your mental health condition and your job duties, as there are undoubtedly other factors in your life that are causing you to feel stressed or anxious. To give yourself the best chance to earn an injury award for a mental health disorder, it’s imperative that you have an injury lawyer by your side to clearly outline your case and prove the connection. At Hey Workers, we’ve helped countless clients collect compensation for both physical and psychological injuries, and we can do the same for you in your time of need. For more information about any of the above psychological claims, or for assistance filing a more standard claim for physical injuries, reach out to the team at Hey Workers today at (844) 439-9675.
