Staying healthy requires looking after your mind and body. While people talk about jobs keeping them physically and mentally active, that same job could end up damaging your health.
You probably know you can claim workers’ compensation insurance if you suffer a physical injury at work You might not be aware you can sometimes claim if work damages your mental health.
Claiming for mental injury is more complex than for physical harm
Minnesota worker’s compensation laws do not cover all mental health issues or psychological damage. You need to meet precise requirements:
- If a physical injury causes you a mental health issue or worsens an existing one: Your mind and body are connected, so physical hurt may result in mental damage. If so, you might be able to claim for both issues.
- If stress causes physical harm: All jobs contain pressure, yet, some have too much. It can lead to physical ailments such as strokes, heart attacks, or stomach ulcers.
Usually, you cannot claim workers’ compensation for mental injuries in Minnesota unless you are also physically injured. The exception is for post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD). While you can get PTSD when you suffer an injury yourself, you can also get it from seeing something awful happen to someone else. For example, you see your colleague lose a limb in a machine, or see a car mow down a child in your store car park.
As with all workers’ compensation claims, the insurers will examine your case individually and look for ways to deny it or limit how much they pay. Understanding what the insurance covers and how to file a claim will be crucial to getting the total compensation you need.
