Suffering a mental health injury at work may be caused by undue stress put upon you by your employer, or in the aftermath of a workplace accident. Lodging a mental illness claim has recently become easier for workers in Queensland. Let’s talk about the types of stress at work and what you can expect from a personal injury claim for stress.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can often result from exposure to a traumatic event. Anyone can be affected by PTSD, it can occur following an isolated event or through repeated traumatic experiences.
You can expect to endure a reasonable amount of stress at work. Indeed, some occupations, such as working for emergency services and defence forces, come with a greater risk of personal harm and exposure to danger, invoking traumatic experiences. Nevertheless, all employers owe a duty of care to their employers to avoid foreseeable risk of personal injury at work.
In Queensland, you can only claim damages for your dominant injury. Therefore, if you suffer physical injury at work that also causes mental stress such as PTSD, this will be taken into full consideration when it comes to measuring your overall level of compensation on the Injury Value Scale.
For a mental stress claim to be successful, Richardson & Lyons lawyers must prove that your mental health injury at work was due to your employer’s negligence.
What to do in case of mental/stress injuries at work?
In most cases, mental stress at work should be taken care of by systems already set in place by your employer. Implementing these systems properly to be used effectively is their responsibility. Should you suffer a mental health injury at work due to the failure of such systems, you can claim damages for your employer’s negligence to provide a duty of care.
If your employment has been a significant contributing factor to your mental health injury, you can expect to be able to pursue a mental illness claim.
It’s best to talk to one of our expert personal injury lawyers before making a personal injury claim for stress. That way, we can better understand your circumstances and make a fair assessment of your entitlement to claim for damages.
Making a claim for mental stress injury at work
We understand that speaking to a lawyer can only add extra burden to your mental stress. Therefore, Richardson & Lyons lawyers work alongside you to pursue your mental illness claim in a way that makes you most comfortable.
Our team of specialist personal injury lawyers set your best interests at heart. We want to see you receive the level of compensation you deserve.
Did you know that Mental Stress Injury Compensation is required to be made available to you in the form of support services? While your claim is being determined, insurers must provide reasonable access to mental health services for suffering workers.
Time limits do apply to any personal injury claim for stress. To give yourself the best chance possible of receiving appropriate compensation, get in touch with a lawyer as soon as possible.
Insurers may also accept claims lodged outside the required six-month time limit. If you’ve tried to manage your mental health injury at work, you may still have an opportunity to lodge a personal injury claim for stress at work.
Conclusion
Take the stress out of your mental health injury at work by talking to a specialist personal injury lawyer. At Richardson & Lyons, our expert team can help you navigate lodging a mental illness claim to recover the compensation you deserve.
