Mental Health Injuries in the Workplace: Not All Work Injuries Can Be Seen

When people think of workplace injuries, their thoughts typically turn to injuries like severed limbs, pulled muscles, and back injuries. These do occur, of course, but there are also work injuries that cannot be seen. Mental health issues are a prime example, and they plague more workers than most realize. If you believe that work may have been the cause of a mental health issue for you or someone you love, the following information may be able to help.

There are many ways that one can experience a mental health injury from work. However, most tend to fall into one of two categories - those that are experienced because of the job itself, and those that are the result of another injury. A police officer who experiences PTSD after years in the line of fire is an example of a condition caused by the job itself. A construction worker who falls from a high location, suffers serious injuries, and then deals with chronic depression, anxiety, or PTSD is an example of a condition caused by an injury. Neither is more or less devastating than the other, but the way they impact a person’s life could be different.

Another major concern that mental health injury victims face is the toll that the condition takes on their health. In fact, depression, anxiety, PTSD, and several other mental health conditions have long been associated with an increased risk for certain health complications, such as high blood pressure, stroke, and heart attack. Victims may also be more likely to experience a general feeling of being unwell due to their mental health issues.

Workplace injuries, in and of themselves, are extremely complex matters. Pursuing compensation is rarely easy. This is increasingly true when it comes to an injury that cannot be seen. As such, victims should always ensure they have an advocate who can protect their rights and best interests throughout the entire claims process.

At Corsiglia, McMahon & Allard, LLP, we understand just how difficult it can be to live with a debilitating mental health condition. We also recognize that your injury claim could be multi-layered, and may contain both physical and mental injuries. Whatever your situation, we will fight to ensure you get the most compensation possible. Learn more about how we can assist with your case. Call (408) 289-1417 and schedule a consultation with our San Jose work injury lawyers today.

• PTSD an unseen but real workplace injury, Cambridge woman says