No one expects to get injured at work. Some workers who have suffered a serious workplace injury and have lost time at work can be prone to develop depression. Depression following a workplace injury, or consequential depression may be compensated as part of an injured workers’ compensation claim.
We can use Bob as an example of how consequential depression develops. Bob was strong and healthy, he had a great job and family, he ran marathons hosted great barbeques for his friends and volunteered in his community. Then Bob injured his back at work and needed surgery. He was in constant pain after surgery which made him miserable. He went from enjoying a vibrant life to lying in bed trying to find a position that was the least painful.
Now, instead of his generous salary, Bob was receiving worker’s compensation. His family’s lifestyle had to change. He was no longer able to run every day, he had to cancel some upcoming trips and his once strong, muscular body began to waste away because he was unable to exercise and be active. Bob felt like he was under a heavy, black cloud of depression and his wife became concerned for him. He worried about the projects that he had to leave hanging at work, and the clients who relied on him. He lay awake at night worried about his future and his family’s future if his health did not improve.
At his wife’s urging, Bob told his treating doctor about the depression that he was feeling about ever getting healthy enough to return to work or to the active lifestyle that he once enjoyed. His doctor prescribed medication and gave him a referral to see a psychologist to get treatment for his depression.
Consequential depression can affect a person’s ability to go back to work if it is not treated properly. If your depression is a result of the consequences of your workplace injury, your employer’s insurance company may be held responsible for treating it. “Many injured workers struggle with depression or emotional detachment related to the significant change occupational injury or illness brings to their lives.” (Occupational Injuries and Illnesses)
A research study by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found. “Distinguishing post-injury depression from the variety that is “original” compensable harm, such as the type that can result from a hostile work environment, is important. This distinction must be made because of the different factors, and different treatments, related to depressions that stem from circumstances related to someone’s work and distress related to compensable physical harm.”
Have you or someone you care about suffered from depression after a workplace injury? If you are having trouble getting your employer’s workers’ compensation insurer to cover your treatments and medication, you may want to speak to an experienced Philadelphia workers’ compensation lawyer. We will be a strong advocate for you and make sure that you receive all the benefits that are due to you after a workplace injury.
At Larry Pitt & Associates, we represent all kinds of injured workers and we fight for compensable restitution for all types of injuries including depression that is a result of a workplace injury. If you or a family member needs help for work injury-related depression, don’t hesitate to call us to discuss your case. Please call 888.PITT.LAW or fill out our contact form to schedule an appointment. We fight for injured workers in Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties.
