Daily Archives: August 22, 2013
Mental Injuries and Atlanta Workers’ Comp
Most on the job injuries are physical, but sometimes psychological or psychiatric injuries also occur. Although mental injuries almost always impossible to see, they are just as real as physical injuries. Workers’ compensation insurance requires that a worker must sustain an injury that occurs in and arises out of the course of employment. Some mental injuries can be difficult to prove. For example a heart attack caused by work-related stress may not happen until after working in a stressful environment for a long period of time. Also, unlike claims for physical injuries, it may not be related to one particular incident.
Workers’ compensation separates mental disability cases into three categories: physical-mental, mental-physical, and mental-mental. A physical-mental claim involves a physical workplace injury that has progressed to a mental condition or disability. For example, a worker suffers an injury that lingers, showing no signs of improvement for months; it could cause discouragement which could lapse into severe clinical depression. A mental-physical claim involves a psychological condition arising out of the worker’s employment that has caused a physical illness. An example of this type of injury would be ulcers that are induced by stress in the workplace. A mental-mental claim involves a psychological occurrence in the course of employment, which leads to a psychological injury. These cases are also referred to as “pure stress” claims and are usually the least 
recognized or compensated. One example of this could be witnessing a horrific accident at work involving the injury of a co-worker. This could lead a worker to develop a fear of operating the equipment on which their co-worker was injured. Currently, the state of Georgia does not allow workers’ compensation benefits for this type of psychological injury.
Mental injuries, just like physical ones, can be debilitating and require treatment by healthcare professionals and time for healing. If you are suffering from a psychological or psychiatric injury you believe to be work-related, a knowledgeable lawyer can advise you and assist you in receiving workers’ compensation benefits.
Atlanta Burn Work Injuries in the Workplace
Thousands of burn injuries occur each year in Atlanta from hazards in the workplace. They cause serious, often long-lasting effects. A burn causes painful tissue damage and sometimes scarring or disfigurement. About 5% of workplace burns lead to death.
Burns are classified in categories according to their severity; first-degree, second-degree and third-degree. They are also sometimes called superficial, partial thickness, and full thickness burns, respectively. When the burn involves injury to deeper tissues such as muscle or bone they are referred to as fourth-degree burns.
First-degree or superficial burns involve only the epidermis or outer layer of skin. They are painful but rarely produce long-term tissue damage. Second-degree or partial thickness burns affect the dense bottom portion of the epidermis called the dermis. They result in blistering and sometimes scarring. Third-degree or full thickness burns destroy the epidermis and cause damage all the way down to the hypodermis. The burn site will appear white or charred. Surgeries and skin grafts are likely in these cases.
Burn injuries are caused by either heat, electricity, chemicals, friction or radiation. Most frequently the causes of workplace burns are heat, electricity and chemicals. Heat burns are caused by flames, hot surfaces, scalding liquids or steam. Electrical burns occur as a result of electricity passing through the body. Most often tissues deeper underneath the skin are damaged but cannot be seen which causes electrical burns to be difficult to accurately diagnose. Chemical burns occur when living tissue is exposed to a corrosive product. Chemical burns need no source of heat and can be extremely painful.
Employers are required to provide a safe working environment. If you suffer a burn injury while at work you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. If you want to know if your injury is covered under Workers’ Compensation insurance it is a good idea to contact an attorney who can answer your questions about how to proceed.
