In California, nearly all employers must purchase workers’ compensation insurance. This requirement benefits both employers and employees.
Employers benefit from offering workers’ compensation because doing so protects them from being the targets of lawsuits when employees are injured on the job. Workers, of course, benefit from having a clear means of seeking financial compensation for their medical bills and other such losses resulting from workplace injuries.
You may know that you can file a claim for workers’ compensation benefits if you’ve sustained a physical injury while operating within the scope of your employment. However, many don’t realize they can also file claims for psychiatric distress resulting from mistreatment at work or workplace conditions.
Do you believe you have grounds to file such a claim? If so, review your case with a legal professional for more information. A Van Nuys workplace psychiatric distress claim attorney at Koszdin, Fields & Sherry will gladly discuss your options in greater detail.
Potential Causes of Workplace Psychiatric Distress in Van Nuys
There are various reasons an employee may experience workplace psychiatric distress to such a degree that they’re justified in seeking workers’ compensation benefits. They include the following:
- Discrimination: California law and federal law prohibit employers from discriminating against employees on the grounds of such factors as race, ethnicity/national origin, gender/gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, etc. Despite this, some employers still commit discrimination. Employees may experience psychiatric distress as a result.
- Hostility: A hostile workplace is one in which an employee is subject to consistent or routine mistreatment to such an extent that it substantially impacts their mental and/or emotional well-being.
- Harassment: Harassment can come in many forms in the workplace. For example, harassment can occur if an employee is the target of jokes, or it can involve unwanted contact via email, phone, etc. Meet with a Van Nuys workplace psychiatric distress claim lawyer to find out if the way you’ve been mistreated at work qualifies as harassment.
- Retaliation: Employers may retaliate against employees for filing complaints,
cooperating with investigations into unsafe workplace practices, and more. You may be eligible to receive workers’ compensation benefits if you’ve endured psychiatric stress or pain due to workplace retaliation.
How a Van Nuys Workplace Psychiatric Distress Claim Attorney Can Help
It’s important to understand that your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance carrier is a business whose main goal is to optimize profits and minimize financial losses whenever possible. Thus, it’s not uncommon for workers’ compensation insurance carriers to deny claims, stating an applicant hasn’t provided evidence that they sustained a genuinely work-related injury.
Proving that you developed psychiatric distress due to workplace mistreatment can be particularly challenging.
This isn’t meant to discourage you from filing a claim. It’s meant to encourage you to hire a qualified attorney when doing so. At Koszdin, Fields & Sherry, a Van Nuys workplace psychiatric distress claim lawyer can help you build a case showing you’re eligible to receive workers’ compensation benefits. Learn more about how we can help by contacting us online or calling us at 818-812-5639.
