Can Workplace Injuries Cause PTSD? Recognizing the Signs
You survived the accident. Your broken bones healed and you went through physical therapy. But months later, you still can’t sleep. You avoid driving past your workplace. The sound of machinery makes your heart race. You replay the moment of impact over and over in your mind.
This isn’t weakness—it’s Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and workplace injuries cause it more often than most people realize.
PTSD Isn’t Just for Combat Veterans
Workplace trauma can trigger PTSD just as powerfully as combat or violent crime. Witnessing a coworker’s death, surviving a fall from height, being disfigured by equipment, or experiencing a near-miss with heavy machinery can fundamentally alter how your brain processes danger and safety.
Industrial accidents, violent workplace incidents, catastrophic equipment failures, and serious burns or amputations commonly result in PTSD. The psychological impact is real, it’s documented in medical literature, and it’s compensable under workers’ compensation law.
Recognizing the Signs of PTSD
- Intrusive memories: Unwanted flashbacks of the incident that feel like you’re reliving it
- Avoidance behaviors: Refusing to return to work or avoiding areas within the workplace
- Hypervigilance: Constantly scanning for danger, exaggerated startle response to noises
- Sleep disturbances: Nightmares about the incident, insomnia, or waking up in a panic
- Emotional changes: Feeling numb, detached, or losing interest in activities you enjoy
- Concentration problems: Difficulty focusing at work or remembering important details
Why PTSD After Workplace Injury Often Goes Unrecognized
The focus on physical injuries overshadows mental health. Doctors treat your broken bones and torn ligaments, but no one asks how you’re sleeping or whether you’re having nightmares.
Workers may also fear being labeled “weak” or “dramatic” if they admit they’re struggling psychologically. Employers and insurance companies are quick to minimize psychological claims because they’re harder to measure than a fractured bone on an X-ray.
PTSD can also have delayed onset—symptoms may not appear until weeks or months after the physical injuries have healed, making it harder to connect the psychological trauma to the original workplace incident.
Your Mental Health Injuries Are Compensable
Workers’ compensation in Ohio covers psychological injuries that result from workplace accidents. If you’re experiencing PTSD symptoms after a workplace injury, seek treatment from a mental health professional immediately. Don’t minimize what you’re experiencing or wait for it to get better on its own.
The Law Offices of Tim Misny can help you with your workplace injury claim. When your employer’s negligence causes both physical and psychological harm, I’ll Make Them Pay!® Call my office at (877) 614-9524 so I can evaluate your case right away.
