Can I receive workers’ compensation for depression?

Workers’ compensation may seem like a common sense process to many. If you get injured and need compensation for your medical expenses and missed pay, you seek workers’ compensation. Many individuals every year deal with workplace accidents that take them away from their job either temporarily or permanently.

But what if there was a gray area when it comes to workers’ compensation? You might not know it, but workers’ compensation may cover certain mental conditions. This might be considered a gray area because it is sometimes difficult to prove that a mental condition, such as depression or anxiety, was caused or exacerbated by the individual’s work.

Every state handles the topic of causation differently. When it comes to mental injuries that are not caused by a physical injury, workers often have to prove medical causation and legal causation. On the other hand, some cases of depression may be caused by a preceding physical injury. Take, for example, an individual who suffers a serious head injury which causes him not to be able to remember things well or concentrate. That outcome may eventually lead to severe anxiety or bouts of depression.

Thankfully in this day and age, there is sound medical evidence pertaining to various mental conditions. The medical system and the legal system take these types of injuries seriously. It may be hard to come out and admit that your depression is caused by an event at your job, but if that depression is hindering your ability to work, you may want to reach out to an Charlotte work injury lawyer.