POST – TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER

Posted in Workers' Compensation on August 29, 2017

Recently, I have had several Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder cases come to me.  Also known as PTSD, this disorder can be extremely debilitating and takes many people out of the job force.  This affects people in all sorts of jobs, but many first-responders seem to have it quite often for obvious reasons. Many times people get it from stress at work.  This can come from a one-time stress-causing event or long-term job stress.  Unfortunately, worker’s comp in Arizona only covers a select few.  One cannot get worker’s compensation benefits if the stress is due to long-time job stress.  The courts have specifically excluded stress caused by the fear of being fired, and in many cases, the need to meet a quota.  The stress must be due to something at work that is extraordinary or unusual.  What is considered extraordinary or unusual will vary according to the job and whether co-employees encounter the same type of stress.  The important thing to know if you believe you have PTSD or psychological problems from stress at work is first to seek treatment.  Once you have been diagnosed with a stress condition, you will want to notify your supervisor.  It is probably at that point that it is best to seek out an attorney.  He or she can give you the necessary steps to file the claim and start gathering the evidence you might need to fight such a claim.  Because they are sometimes difficult to prove, insurance companies do not automatically cover them and deny many such claims.  If you have a question as to whether or not your condition may be covered, call the Crossman Law Offices at 602-248-0380 to speak directly with an attorney.

Avery N Crossman

Ms. Crossman is a State Bar Board Certified Workers’ Compensation Specialist and is past Co-Chair of the State Bar Workers’ Compensation Section. She has served as a faculty member at the State Bar Seminar on Professionalism and is a former Judge Pro Tempore in the Arizona County, Justice, and Superior Courts. In the past, she has spoken at seminars on Workers’ Compensation sponsored by the Industrial Commission of Arizona and the Arizona Association of Lawyers for Injured Workers. Ms.Crossman is a long-time member of the Arizona Association of Lawyers for Injured Workers. She is also a member of American Mensa.

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