Can Police Officers Get Workers’ Compensation for PTSD in Illinois?

 Posted on May 19, 2023 in Personal Injury

For law enforcement officers, exposure to stressful and traumatic events is not uncommon. Police officers may witness drug overdoses, violent car accidents, child abuse, or any number of grisly scenes. Many officers are injured or killed in the line of duty, which can also have a profound psychological impact on the entire police force.

Fortunately, Illinois law allows police officers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder caused by trauma they experienced on the job to receive compensation through workers’ compensation.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Can Be Debilitating

When most people think about workers’ compensation coverage for a work injury, they imagine broken bones or back injuries. However, some of the worst injuries are invisible. Post-traumatic stress disorder is a psychological condition that a person can develop after experiencing or witnessing a shocking or traumatic event.

Symptoms of PTSD can make it impossible for a worker to fulfill work obligations or even function normally. PTSD sufferers may experience flashbacks of the traumatic event in which it feels as if the event is occurring again and again. Many struggle to sleep at night, and when they do sleep, they are plagued by terrifying nightmares.

PTSD can also cause paranoia, hypervigilance, distorted thinking, and severe anxiety. Police officers who are suffering from PTSD may find it difficult to enjoy things they used to love, such as spending time with family and friends or participating in their favorite hobby. It may be difficult to impossible to focus at work and complete work responsibilities.

Illinois Allows You to Receive Workers’ Compensation for PTSD

In most cases, workers’ compensation is only available to workers who have suffered a physical injury that prevents them from working. Fortunately, Illinois law reflects the fact that psychological conditions like PTSD can be just as debilitating as a physical injury. In order to qualify for workers’ compensation, the police officer will need to demonstrate that the condition is a result of an event that happened during work.

Compensation may be available for medical expenses such as mental health treatment and counseling as well as part of the police officers lost income from his or her time off work.

Contact our Will County Workers’ Compensation Lawyer

If you are suffering from PTSD due to a trauma experienced while working as a police officer, workers’ compensation may provide a valuable source of financial relief. Our Joliet workers’ compensation attorneys can help you file a claim, appeal A denied claim, or handle any other obstacles you encounter during the workers’ compensation claim process. Call 815-727-0100 for a free consultation.

Source: 

https://iwcc.illinois.gov/resources/resources-for-employees.html