Although post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is commonly associated with soldiers in combat situations, the condition can affect anyone who has been in through a traumatic event. An injury on a construction site could have a significant impact on an employee’s mental state, and New York workers’ compensation allows workers to collect benefits for PTSD. However, mental health claims are some of the most difficult claims to prove, and it may take the help of an experienced construction injury attorney to get you the benefits you are owed.
Construction Workers May Be Owed Compensation for PTSD
Construction employees with PTSD may need extended time away from work, psychological treatment (including therapy and medications), and cognitive retraining to avoid response to triggering aspects of daily life. The loud noises, sudden shouts and bangs, and other hazards on a construction site may make it impossible for the employee to focus or perform even light-duty work. Workers’ compensation benefits can provide payment for lost wages, coverage of all medical treatment related to the PTSD, and disability benefits for permanent mental health impairment.
New York workers’ compensation benefits may cover PTSD:
- With a physical injury. A worker may suffer PTSD after a serious accident that caused painful or debilitating physical injuries. These employees may qualify for workers’ compensation benefits for the cost of the physical injuries, as well as the emotional effects of the trauma that can last for many years after the accident.
- As a standalone condition. A worker can suffer PTSD without sustaining a physical injury, such as from the trauma of witnessing an accident on the job site. The sight of a fellow worker falling from a building or losing an arm on an unguarded machine could form the basis of a workers’ compensation claim for PTSD.