Work can be stressful a lot of the time. There is always a lot of pressure on workers to do a good job and meet the company’s standards. But when stress causes a major mental illness that keeps a worker from doing their job for a long time, they need to file a workers’ compensation claim to get paid for the time they couldn’t work.
Even if your claim of mental stress is hard to prove, your boss may still pay you for it. To build a good case, we need to prove the following:
- A doctor told you that you have a mental illness that makes you unable to work or needs medical care.
- You’ve worked for this company for at least 6 months.
- Most likely, your accidents were caused by the way you worked.
If your boss or their workers’ compensation insurance company underpays or rejects your claim, you need to talk to a lawyer who has a track record of protecting their client’s rights.
Common Worker’s Compensation Claims Caused by Stress
Stress-related illnesses that start at work are much more common than they used to be. Sexual abuse, discrimination, and other bad work conditions are often linked to a lot of stress-related claims. There are a lot of stress-related workers’ compensation cases that can also be paid for. Some of the most popular are:
- Stress at work can cause sleep problems.
- Tension at work leads to panic attacks and worry.
- Stress can cause a heart attack or high blood pressure.
- A work accident or stress at work can lead to clinical depression.
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can be caused by serious injuries, violence at work, or crashes at work.
Indications of a Work Injury Caused by Stress in California
Several kinds of injuries that can occur as a result of working conditions or incidents are evident right away. Identifying the symptoms of a work-related stress injury or disease can be more difficult. The following are some warning signs to look out for:
- Changes in sleeping habits
- Having nightmares
- Changes in hunger
- Having less interest in things you used to enjoy
- More anger and frustration
- Loss of attention
- Using less energy
- Problems with memory or other brain problems
Steps To Take If You Are Suffering From a Stress-Related Condition
Treat stress-related injuries like other workplace illnesses. It involves:
- Letting your boss know about your illness in a formal way when you find out about it.
- Keeping a record of all of your symptoms and any events that may have caused them.
- Keeping track of the money you’ve lost because of your illness, like hospital expenses and lost pay.
- Getting medical help and doing what a doctor says.
- Find witnesses who might be able to back up your story if you think you have a stress-related condition because of something that happened at work.
- Not talking about your case with other people or putting anything about it on social media sites.
How can a stress-related claim lawyer help?
Under California Labor Code 3208.3, workers who get hurt because of worry can get full workers’ compensation benefits. If you have worked for the same company for at least 6 months and have been diagnosed with a mental illness that was caused by your job, you can make a claim. To find out more, call Pistiolas Law Office at (844) 414-1768 to set up a free appointment to talk about your case.
