Did you know Californians are entitled to psychiatric injury compensation if work-related mental stress prevents them from doing their job? While it isn’t possible to file a claim for work stress alone, it is possible to seek compensation for injuries developed as a result of the stress.
With this in mind, here’s a breakdown of the work-related psychiatric injury compensation process in California.
Understanding Work-Related Psychiatric Injuries
Have you developed a mental health condition due to being overstressed at work? Is workplace harassment or bullying preventing you from working? These are just some scenarios that can cause you to develop work-related psychiatric injuries.
Fortunately, Californian laws allow affected individuals to seek psychiatric injury compensation in the form of financial support or medical care. The best place to start is by contacting a work injury law firm; They’ll walk you through your compensation options and help you file a claim.
Filing a Claim
Before you file a work-related psychiatric injury, tell your employer about your injury. We recommend doing this after consulting a work comp lawyer for the following reasons:
- It’ll give your claim credibility
- It’ll make the employer listen
- It’ll give you support/courage
If you’ve already begun receiving medical treatments for your work-related psychiatric injury, pass the receipts and medical records to the worker’s compensation attorney. They’ll keep this information confidential and use it to lodge a strong claim on your behalf.
Appealing Rejected Claims
If your compensation claim is accepted, you’ll start receiving payments from your employer’s insurance company to cover lost wages or medical expenses. However, if the claim is rejected, the worker’s compensation lawyer will help you appeal the decision by taking the following steps:
- They’ll help you to prepare for court hearings where the decision will be appealed
- They’ll assist you in collecting additional evidence to support your claim, such as witness statements from your colleagues
- They’ll challenge the evidence against your claim in court
- They’ll cross-examine witnesses to show the court why your compensation claim should have been accepted
Handling Settlement Offers
In some instances, employers offer employees a lump-sum payment to settle the work-related psychiatric injury case during the appeal process. In this scenario, the work comp lawyer will ensure you get an adequate settlement to cover your losses due to the injury.
Looking for professionals to help you apply for work-related psychiatric injury compensation? Our work comp lawyers at Law Offices of Harley Merritt are eager to assist you.
We provide comprehensive legal assistance to help clients seeking all kinds of worker’s compensation following a job-related injury/illness. We’ve handled worker compensation claims for more than 20 years and always go above and beyond to deliver a service underpinned by compassion and excellence.
Contact us today to book a free case evaluation with our expert workers’ compensation lawyers in Chico, CA.
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