Exploring Civil Case Proceedings

What You Can Do If You Are Suffering From Work-Related Mental Stress

6 October 2015 by Becky Freeman

Stress is something many people experience at home and at work, and it can be devastating to your health. While there are ways to control some of the stress in your life, it is not always easy to control the stress you may have from your job, especially if your employer is treating you in ways that are egregious. If this is happening to you and has caused you to have to miss work or get fired from your job, you may have to consult with a personal injury attorney for help.

What Is Considered Egregious?

Egregious treatment involves being treated in ways that are absurd, crazy, unbelievable, or outlandish, and there are many ways this can happen. Here are some examples:

• Your boss screams at you and calls you names while you are alone or in front of other employees.
• Your employer pushes, kicks, or punches you because he or she is mad about something.
• Your boss will not provide you with the right safety equipment, yet expects you to complete tasks that require it.
• Your wages are docked for mistakes you or other employees made.
• Your work conditions are hazardous, filthy, and unsafe.

There are many things employers can do that may be considered egregious. Not only can these actions result in physical harm and injuries in some cases, but they can also lead to emotional and mental stress. All types of stress and injuries can cause health problems and may lead you to miss time at work.

What Can You Do About This?

If you are injured physically at work for any reason, including egregious acts by your employer, you may have the right to file a workers' compensation claim against your employer. All employers are required to carry this form of insurance to cover physical injuries that occur at work; however, it does not usually cover injuries that are emotional or mental.

When the work conditions and acts of an employer lead to emotional stress and health-related problems, you probably cannot receive workers' compensation, but you may have the right to sue your employer through a personal injury lawsuit.

Can You Win A Case Like This?

Proving physical injuries are not usually difficult, but proving emotional injuries and damages can be much harder. Because of this, you will need to have a lot of proof that your employer has not treated you right, and that these actions caused you emotional harm. Here are some tips to help you understand the types of evidence you should have to prove and win your case:

• A journal that documents the events – When people document every incident that happens when it happens, it can be very useful in court. You can produce this journal during your case to show every single thing that happened. Make sure you write the date and time of each event, and you should also include the names of anyone that witnessed the event.
• Medical bills you have – While emotional stress does not always require visits to the doctor, there are times it does. In addition to doctor bills and reports, you should also gather information from any therapy sessions you may have had.
• List of medications you are taking – If you are now on some type of antidepressant or medication to help you deal with the stress you are going through, you should write it down. If you have never had to take medication before and now have to, it might help you prove the stress is due to your work conditions and treatment.
• Witnesses – There is a good chance that if you are being treated poorly, other employees are also being treated like this. If you can produce witnesses, you may have a better chance of winning.

While it can be hard to prove emotional stress, it is not impossible. With the right evidence and a knowledgeable lawyer, you may be able to win your case. To learn more about this, contact a personal injury attorney, like those at the Law Office Of Daniel E Goodman.

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