Most Ohio employees have protection from on-the-job injuries. If they get hurt at work or diagnosed with a medical condition caused by their career, they may be eligible for workers’ compensation.
Workers’ compensation provides medical benefits to pay for treatment costs. Workers can also request disability benefits that replace their wages. Workers with broken bones or herniated discs typically know they can qualify for workers’ compensation. Others may have questions about their eligibility.
The rules differ in every jurisdiction, which only compounds the confusion that injured professionals may face. The rules in Ohio are different than the rules in Michigan or Indiana. Do workers with job-related mental health issues qualify for workers’ compensation benefits?
There are special rules for mental health-related claims
There are many ways in which a job might create mental health conditions. Stress, bullying and traumatic experiences could all contribute to mental health issues. Workers may develop anxiety or depression because of stressful job requirements or tension with coworkers. While those conditions may relate to the employee’s job, they may not make the employee eligible for workers’ compensation benefits.
Typically, workers’ compensation does not cover mental health conditions that develop due to job responsibilities. A worker diagnosed with depression or anxiety triggered by their work is likely not eligible for workers’ compensation benefits.
However, there is an exception to that rule. In cases where employees develop mental health conditions because of physical health conditions caused by their employment, they may be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. The benefits can cover treatment costs for their physical condition and the mental health condition caused by the physical condition.
For example, if a worker at a factory experiences an incident involving machinery that causes a compound fracture and leaves them fearful for their life, they might develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) because of the experience. Workers’ compensation might theoretically apply because the mental health diagnosis of PTSD directly relates to the work-acquired physical injury that the employee incurred on the job.
Professionals dealing with psychological injuries related to their employment may need help reviewing workers’ compensation regulations and handling claims paperwork, and that’s okay. Connecting a mental health condition to a physical injury could help an employee prove that they are eligible for workers’ compensation benefits.