Can I Seek Workers’ Compensation in Maryland for a Mental Health Issue?
When a worker in Maryland suffers a serious injury in an on-the-job accident or is diagnosed with a work-related occupational illness resulting from exposure to a workplace hazard, that injured employee may be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. Yet many employees who experience significant mental health issues as a result of their work are unsure about whether a workplace accident or illness is covered when it is a mental health issue rather than an injury or illness that began as a physical issue.
Different types of occupations can have significant effects on an employee’s mental health, giving rise to chronic stress, diagnosed anxiety and depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and more. Are any of these mental illnesses or diseases compensable through the workers’ compensation in Maryland? There is no yes-or-no answer to that question. Compensation may be possible, but it will depend on the circumstances and whether you can show that your mental health injury or condition arose out of and occurred in the course of employment. Consider the following information from our Maryland workers’ compensation lawyers.
How Job Duties Can Lead to Mental Health Issues
Any job can be stressful, and factors ranging from low pay, excessive workloads, bullying, long hours, and long commutes can cause work-related stress, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Indeed, OSHA reports that about 75 percent, or three quarters, of all working adults cite their jobs as “a significant source of stress.” Yet stress alone is not sufficient to be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits.
When a condition of your job, or an incident in your workplace, gives rise to a mental health condition or substantially worsens a mental health condition, such as an anxiety disorder or major depressive disorder, or PTSD, then it may be possible to seek workers’ compensation benefits. What types of incidents can result in workers’ compensation eligibility for a mental health issue? The following are some common examples:
- Traumatic event occurs in the workplace and the employee witnesses it or is involved in it, such as the death or serious injury of a person in the workplace;
- Employee is assaulted in the workplace; or
- Job involves significant mental health demands by nature of the occupation.
Types of Jobs Commonly Causing Mental Health Issues
In what types of jobs are traumatic events, third-party assaults, and general high-stress conditions most likely to occur?
- Hospital workers, and especially emergency room workers;
- Nursing home staff;
- Firefighters;
- Police officers;
- Transportation workers;
- Restaurant workers in environments where alcohol is served; and
- Night shift personnel.
Contact a Maryland Workers’ Compensation Attorney for Assistance Seeking Benefits for a Mental Health Issue That Arose Out of Your Employment
Have you been diagnosed with a significant mental health condition that is preventing you from working, and did the condition arise out of your work? If so, it is important to learn more about your eligibility for workers’ compensation benefits under Maryland law. One of the experienced Maryland workers’ compensation attorneys at the Law Offices of Steinhardt, Siskind and Lieberman, LLC can discuss the details of your condition with you today and can begin working with you on your workers’ compensation claim. Contact our firm to learn more about how we help injured employees in a wide range of occupations who are dealing with psychological injuries and mental health disorders resulting from their work.
Source:
osha.gov/workplace-stress