Rosenbaum Personal Injury Lawyers | September 17, 2024 | New York City Personal Injury Blog
If you were injured in a workplace accident in the Bronx, NY, a workers’ compensation claim may cover your physical and psychological injuries. This includes post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Laws surrounding mental health disorders like PTSD and workers’ compensation are changing around the country and in New York. For example, New York passed a law in 2017 allowing first responders to claim PTSD in workers’ compensation claims. Then, in 2022, the law was expanded to allow all workers to file claims related to PTSD.
However, for PTSD to be covered under your workers’ compensation claim, you must prove that your symptoms were caused by a workplace event or condition. At Rosenbaum Personal Injury Lawyers, our experienced workers’ compensation lawyers are ready to help you prove your PTSD claim.
Contact our office to schedule a free consultation with one of our attorneys, or continue reading to look at PTSD in workers’ compensation cases more closely.
What Is PTSD?
PTSD is a mental health disorder that one may develop after a traumatic event or experience. The symptoms of PTSD may include:
- Reliving the event. Obtrusive memories, recurrent dreams, or reactions to reminders of the traumatic event
- Negative mood changes. Depression or negative thoughts and beliefs related to the traumatic events
- Avoidance. Avoiding thoughts, feelings, or reminders of the traumatic event
- Arousal symptoms. Hypervigilance, irritability, or an elevated startle response
These symptoms must last for more than a month to warrant a diagnosis of PTSD.
Examples of work-related PTSD-causing events include:
- A first responder who handled an especially gruesome incident.
- An employee who witnessed a mass shooting.
- An employee who was robbed at gunpoint.
- A factory worker who witnessed a co-worker die in a workplace accident.
In addition, a PTSD claim could arise because of extreme workplace stress that occurred over time rather than in a single incident.
PTSD Under New York Workers’ Compensation Claims
While workers’ compensation claims originally covered only physical injuries, mental health symptoms are now compensable, too. To receive compensation for PTSD under New York law, you must show that your PTSD symptoms were caused by a workplace accident or experience. You must also show that your symptoms result from an abnormal event or condition that led to a greater-than-normal amount of stress.
Proving that your symptoms were caused by extreme workplace stress may be difficult to prove in some circumstances. Our experienced Bronx workers’ compensation lawyers will help you seek compensation for all of your symptoms.
How Can a Workers’ Compensation Lawyer Help Recover Compensation for PTSD?
An experienced New York workers’ compensation lawyer can help you seek compensation for your PTSD symptoms by providing advice on your claim and helping to gather the proper documentation to support that claim. An experienced attorney can also hire expert witnesses as needed to help prove the extent of your mental health symptoms.
In addition, depending on the circumstances of your case, you may be able to seek additional compensation through a personal injury claim. Our skilled Bronx personal injury lawyers can explain all of your options and help you seek full compensation for your physical and mental injuries.
Contact Our Bronx Workers’ Compensation Lawyers
If you’re suffering from PTSD symptoms because of a workplace accident or workplace-related stress, you deserve compensation for your treatment and recovery. The laws around mental health symptoms and workers’ compensation are changing around the country and in New York. Our experienced workers’ compensation lawyers understand the current state of PTSD claims and will fight for you to receive full compensation.
If you’ve been injured in an accident in the Bronx and need legal help, contact our Bronx workers’ compensation lawyers at Rosenbaum Personal Injury Lawyers to schedule a free consultation. We also serve in Brooklyn and Manhattan, NY.
Rosenbaum Personal Injury Lawyers – New York City Office
100 Wall St 15th Floor
New York, NY 10005
(212) 514-5007
Rosenbaum Personal Injury Lawyers – Bronx Office
1578 Williamsbridge Rd suite 3b
Bronx, NY 10461
(212) 514-5007
(917) 905-2339
Rosenbaum Personal Injury Lawyers – Brooklyn Office
32 Court St #704
Brooklyn, NY 11201
(212) 514-5007
(917) 920-7332