While many workers’ compensation insurance companies will automatically deny a PTSD work comp claim, post-traumatic stress disorder is covered under work comp. You may be entitled to medical benefits and wage loss benefits, including but not limited to, temporary total disability benefits, temporary partial disability benefits, and permanent partial disability benefits. The law surrounding PTSD claims is a new and emerging area in the Minnesota workers’ compensation system. If you have PTSD as a result of your employment, your eligibility for benefits may depend on whether you were injured before or after October 1, 2013.
In Lockwood v. Independent School District No. 877, the Minnesota Supreme Court divided psychological injuries into three categories: “mental/mental,” “mental/physical,” and “physical/mental.” The Court recognized mental/physical and physical/mental as compensable claims under work comp. Meaning, you had to suffer a physical injury in addition to a mental injury in order to receive work comp benefits.
The Minnesota Supreme Court upheld this understanding of psychological injuries in Schuette v. City of Hutchinson. In Schuette a police officer responded to a local high school where he found a young girl gravely injured from hitting her head when she fell out of a pick-up truck. Despite the officer’s attempts to save her, the girl died. The police officer later developed PTSD. The Court held that the officer had suffered a pure mental injury and thus, was not entitled to work comp benefits. Had the police officer suffered his psychological injury after October 1, 2013 this case may have been decided differently.
On October 1, 2013 the Minnesota legislature changed the law to allow workers with PTSD to recover work comp benefits without an accompanying physical injury. This change allows many more deserving public servants to be afforded work comp benefits.
At Meuser Law Office, P.A. we’ve successfully represented clients with PTSD for over ten years both under the new and the old PTSD law. While it is easier to recover work comp benefits for employees under the new law, it is certainly not impossible to recover benefits for employees under the old law.
Whether or not a worker’s claim falls under the new or old law depends on the employee’s date of injury. Determining an employee’s date of injury is not necessarily straightforward in PTSD cases. People with PTSD often don’t display symptoms or become disabled till much after the triggering event or events. If you have PTSD you should have your case evaluated by a lawyer who has experience with workers’ compensation cases and specifically PERA.
If you have PTSD and are police officer or firefighter you may also be entitled to benefits under PERA and MSRS. Additionally, if you are a peace officer who developed PTSD you may also be eligible for benefits under Minnesota Statute § 299A.475. Benefits under Minnesota Statute § 299A.475 include up to a year’s worth of unreimbursed wage loss benefits and a years work of unreimbursed medical expense benefits for treatment for PTSD. You could be entitled to work comp benefits, including wage loss and medical benefits, PERA duty disability benefits, and wage loss and medical benefits under Minnesota Statute § 299A.475.
Don’t jeopardize your Minnesota workers' comp, PERA/MSRS, or Minnesota Statute § 299A.475 benefits by going at it alone or by choosing a less knowledgeable and experienced attorney. Call Meuser Law Office, P.A. at 1-877-746-5680 or fill out the form on this page for a free consultation. As experienced workers’ compensation, PERA, and MSRS attorneys we will evaluate your case from top to bottom to ensure you receive every possible benefit to which you are entitled.
by Mary BethMore posts by Mary Beth
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