In the summer of 2019, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed into law a bill that allows for first responders like police officers and firefighters to file a Connecticut workers’ compensation claim for mental health reasons. The legislation effectively separates the mental health anguish that first responders may be under from the physical ailments that they may incur while in the line of duty.
Before this piece of legislation was signed into law if you were a police officer who was suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after an incident you were involved with, you would not have been able to file a workers’ compensation claim if that PTSD was not also diagnosed alongside a physical injury. This law now extends protections for law enforcement and others to include mental health injuries which occur with no physical injury.
Police officers, parole officers, and firefighters will now all be able to file mental health workers’ compensation claims after having been involved in the following incidents while in the line of duty;
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Witnessing the death of a person or an injury that will later result in the death of a person shortly after the incident had occurred
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Treating an injury of a person who then dies shortly after the treatment
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Carrying an injured person who later dies after the incident
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Viewing a deceased minor
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Be a witness to an injury that occurs to a person who loses a limb or suffers long-term disfigurement from the injury
Legislators began looking at this law after the incredible tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School where officers responded to the massacre of elementary aged school students.
With the new law, officers and firefighters now have the ability to be treated and taken care of after suffering PTSD on the job which is critical to their ability to return to the line of duty and continue to serve her/his community. By being able to file a Connecticut workers’ compensation claim and take the necessary time to seek mental health services for their response in the field, these public servants will be able to return to work faster and in a better mindset.
If you’ve been injured in the line of duty and need an experienced, board-certified attorney to review your claim and help walk you through the process of filing it, contact our office. One of our attorneys will speak with you and work on making sure your long-term interests are protected.
