- Unexpected
- Unusual
- Extraordinary stress
Required Proof
The proof required for mental injuries is more stringent than that required for physical injuries because of the difficulty in proving a causal connection between mental illness and work-related stress.
As the Arizona Workers’ Compensation Handbook so eloquently states, “in today’s society, emotional stress has multiple causes. Some are work-related, others are not.
Types of Emotional Stress
There are two types of emotional stress cases. In the first, the mental injury is caused by a single incident. In the second, the injury-producing event is gradual in nature. The former is usually easier to prove compensable.
Examples would be where an employee sees a co-worker get shot or die or where the employee hits and kills a pedestrian while on the job. The latter (gradual) are less likely to be accepted because of the difficulty in proving a causal connection.
If you’re stressed because your boss is a jerk, you’re overworked, your hours got cut, or your co-worker makes annoying noise sounds, man up and gets over it. If you have a truly stressful event at work, call Snow, Carpio, and Weekley at (602) 532-0700 or (520) 647-9000.
