First Responder Lawyer

As a first responder, your work is commendable and incredibly challenging. It is the type of work that must be done, is often thankless, and may become emotionally and physically demanding. When your position creates ongoing trauma, it may be time to seek help.

Our first responder lawyer law firm in Olympia, WA at Putnam Lieb Potvin Dailey understands what you are facing, and we can offer exceptional resources to help you fight back. Let our workers’ compensation attorneys in Olympia, WA represent your best interests today.

What Can a Local First Responder Lawyer Do for Me?

Those who are involved in any type of emergency work fully understand what they took on and the challenges of everyday life. Yet, they may not realize that there is a point where your physical, emotional, and financial losses are too high, beyond what could be considered expected or acceptable. When you hire a first responder lawyer in the South Puget Sound area from our personal injury firm, you gain guidance as you pursue compensation for the losses you have suffered.

If you are hurt on the job, with physical or emotional injuries, you have the right to seek workers’ compensation for those losses. When you work with our legal team, you gain several key benefits:

Comprehensive understanding of your rights. Workers’ compensation claims related to emotional trauma can be challenging to prove by anyone who does not have ample experience and industry-specific insight like we do.
Understanding the evidence and claims process allows our attorney to provide you with the necessary resources to demonstrate all of your losses. We do not let you settle for too little.
Denials are common and challenging, but they can be overcome when you employ the legal resources of our attorneys.

Our first responder lawyers will navigate the claims process with you, overcome concerns related to denials, and build a strong, evidence-based claim that covers all of your losses comprehensively. When you need an attorney in Olympia, WA, as a first responder, put your trust in our team.

Can a First Responder Attorney Help Me with a PTSD Claim?

First responders face physical and emotional challenges on the job, often with the onset of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at the heart of those complications. This condition occurs when a person faces a single, intense instance of trauma or repeated events of trauma. Seeing, witnessing, experiencing those intense moments, fearing for your life or that of another, or watching people suffer changes the function of the brain, often leading to unprocessed pain. PTSD is a very real loss.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration states that about 30% of all first responders develop some type of behavioral health conditions, including PTSD and clinical depression. This figure is believed to be under-reported as well. If you are one of the thousands facing these losses, our first responder lawyers near you in Thurston County can offer exceptional support for filing a claim.

Know Your Rights to PTSD Treatment

You have the right under workers’ compensation laws to seek support for any injury you suffer due to the nature of your work. For first responders, this includes seeking support for PTSD. If you are diagnosed with PTSD as noted under Senate Bill 6214, and it impacts your ability to work, you may receive compensation for your losses.

You may meet the eligibility requirements for PTSD under workers’ compensation claims in the following situations:

A single traumatic event: First responders who experience a life-threatening event, or witness the death or serious injury of a person, may qualify if they develop PTSD symptoms.
Chronic conditions: For first responders, the development of a chronic condition is more likely, and often occurs as a result of constantly negative, emotionally taxing, and downright painful memories and experiences.

If you believe you qualify for compensation for PTSD or you want to find out if you can receive such compensation, set up a free consultation with our first responder lawyer in Olympia, WA and let us begin exploring what we can do to build a strong case for you.

A Simple Workers’ Compensation Claim May Not Be Enough

In any work environment, including first responder jobs such as emergency medical services, firefighters, police officers, and emergency room workers, you have the right to file a claim for losses suffered due to injuries on the job. If you fall off a truck or break your arm trying to support a patient, you can file a claim for your medical bills and lost time off through workers’ compensation. While it can still be challenging, it is often a straightforward process.

When it comes to workers’ compensation for PTSD in Olympia, the process is more complex. The evidence is more challenging to obtain. For many people, there are fewer outward signs of this condition. That means workers’ compensation attorneys and adjusters will try to fight such claims.

Filing a simple workers’ compensation claim may be more challenging even in the most ideal situation. However, when you hire a South Puget Sound first responder lawyer from our firm, you gain an advocate who has decades of experience fighting for victims in these drastic situations. Before you agree to a settlement from workers’ compensation, let us review your offer to be sure you are not leaving valuable assets owed to you on the table.

Washington Law Offers Support for PTSD

In 2018, the state of Washington updated its laws related to what damages a person could recover in a workers’ compensation case involving PTSD. These updates were crucial as previous laws only allowed for those who experienced traumatic events to pursue compensation for up to a full year after that exposure, and they often lumped these types of experiences into ordinary work duties.

However, those laws have been updated to reflect better access to compensation to support care and recovery from PTSD. If you were exposed to traumatic events and develop PTSD, you can now seek out support. You can seek a claim for up to two years after your doctor diagnoses you with the condition.

How PTSD Happens in First Responders

First responders spend a great deal of their time in dire situations, fighting for victims’ lives and trying to navigate terrifying environments with confidence. The experiences you have can be extensive, and often they can be challenging for the brain to take in and comprehend. When your brain does not properly process trauma, it can lead to challenging thought processes, flashbacks, and ongoing emotional pain. Some examples of what can bring on PTSD in first responders include:

Chronic stress on the job, including long hours worked, often with few breaks
Unpredictable environments, including many that are physically dangerous to be in
Working under intense stress, where fast decision-making is critical to saving the lives of victims
The risk of seeing or experiencing a serious injury or violence
Experiencing violence or assault in any way against you while you try to help
Watching another person, especially someone you know, die
Having to put yourself into highly dangerous situations because no one else can
Burnout from constant stress

You know the intensity of your job, and you can feel the impact it has on your overall well-being. Yet, as your attorney, we need to be able to demonstrate that you are experiencing PTSD as the direct result of the work you do in order for workers’ compensation to cover your losses. Find answers to your questions in our FAQs section.

How a First Responder Lawyer Near Me Can Prove Workers’ Compensation PTSD

Our experience in this area makes us a unique resource for those who work as first responders and face these types of incredible challenges. We bring several advantages to your case, including a dedication to going out of one’s way to demonstrate what happened, who caused that pain, and why they are responsible for your losses, even when that is your employer.

We Document Your Symptoms

Our attorneys will work with you, your family, your employer, and even your coworkers to best understand your symptoms. We look for signs of what took place and what the common types of experiences are that you had. In some cases, there is a single event that caused the trauma, and in that situation, we will comprehensively document what occurred.

Medical Experts

Medical and psychological experts can provide insight into what you are facing. By using your diagnosis and evaluation, it is possible to get a clear understanding of what anyone else in your situation would be experiencing. This can also help us to solidify not just the diagnosis of PTSD, but also the impact on what you do.

Demonstrating the Impact on Your Life

Our local first responder attorneys in Olympia, WA will then work to outline the impact this incident is having on your life. Every situation is a bit different. Many times, those with PTSD will face limitations such as the following:

Difficulty concentrating and completing tasks
Outbursts of emotion that may not match the situation
Confusion and mental clarity concerns at random times or in high-stress situations
The onset of mental health problems associated with PTSD, including extreme anxiety and depression
Suicidal ideation occurrence
Problematic alcohol or substance use
Avoidance of people or experiences you used to enjoy
Avoidance or an emotionally numb feeling

All of these experiences make it hard for you to do your job, live your life, meet your family responsibilities, and ensure your mental and physical health. How is what you are experiencing impacting your life and relationships right now? When you are facing these intense situations, do not wait to get help. Do so, and do not wait any longer to take care of yourself.

A First Responder Lawyer Near You Can Help With Compensation

Victims of injuries on the job – whether PTSD or physical injury – have the right to recover damages from their experience. A traditional workers’ compensation claim usually includes financial losses related to your medical bills and lost time at work. In a PTSD or other complicated first responder injury, a simple claim may not be enough.

For those with PTSD, receiving treatment is critical. Make that your priority. Reach out to a treatment center, talk to your doctor, or otherwise get emergency support, especially if you are facing a mental health breakdown or having thoughts of harming yourself or others.

Our legal team can help you recover the damages owed to you in such situations. That may include:

Medical costs for your treatment
Therapy and psychological support
Wages from missed time at work
Ongoing supportive needs
Time in a treatment center to recover
Medication costs

Talk to us about what you are experiencing and how it impacts your life. Let us work with you to create a comprehensive claim that fully outlines your rights to fair compensation. Learn how we have helped people just like you by reading our client reviews.

Where Can I Find a Workers’ Compensation Attorney Near Me?

If you fall into one of the following areas, you have the right to pursue fair compensation under workers’ compensation for your injuries and losses on the job, including physical injuries, development of illness, and mental health losses:

Any member of law enforcement
State troopers
Emergency medical service providers
Firefighters
Municipal and state police
Emergency room workers
EMTs of all types

If you are struggling, do not wait to get the mental health support you need. Our local first responder lawyers in Olympia, WA have the resources to guide you.

Schedule a Free Consultation with Our First Responder Lawyer Law Firm

Putnam Lieb Potvin Dailey serves all of Olympia, Washington, Thurston County, and the South Puget Sound area with exceptional legal resources and guidance. If you are facing injuries and losses, let us go to work building a strong case for you.

Call our first responder lawyers near you for a free consultation. Even if your claim has already been denied, we want to help you pursue your rights as fully as possible under the law. Contact us now to learn more about those rights and the legal services we can offer.