Bill To Provide Police With Workers' Compensation Coverage For Mental Conditions

April 30, 2013
For emergency responders, the development of mental disorders and other conditions that can be caused by working in a traumatic environment are a serious occupational risk. Now, the government in Missouri is considering a bill that would allow law enforcement officers to receive Missouri Workers’ Compensation Benefits for such conditions.
The law was heard before the Senate Small Business, Insurance, and Industry Committee this past Tuesday and was approved. The law was introduced to give law enforcement the same benefits firefighters receive.
According to an article from Northwest Missouri News, the law covering firefighters for similar conditions, such a Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, was adopted after a hotel collapsed in Kansas City, Missouri, during the summer of 1981. The disaster left a total of 114 people dead and another 216 injured. The event resulted in many of the first responders struggling to mentally deal with the events they witnessed that day.
The new law would require police department insurance policies to cover medical expenses and other costs associated with an officer who developed a life-altering condition as a result of their job.
Similar laws are being considered in the state of Connecticut following a recent school shooting.
The St. Louis Personal Injury Lawyers with Cofman Townsley Injury Lawyers recognize the risks emergency responders face daily while on the job. The firm may be able to help an individual who has suffered due to a work-related injury.