Paramedics Lobby to Get PTSD Recognized as a Workplace Injury
The Paramedic Ride, a non-for-profit organization run by volunteer paramedics and cyclists, threw its support behind an Ontario prive member’s bill that would recognize Post Traumatic Stree Disorder (PTSD) as a work-related injury for first responders.
The proposal, spearheaded by NDP MPP Cheri DiNovo, would alter the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act to presume PTSD as a workplace injury unless proven otherwise.
Geoff MacBride, Ontario Paramedics Association, estimates that a quarter of the group’s members will suffer from some form of PTSD in their career, an unpleasant result of a job that deals with life and death situations almost daily.
Bill 2 is the fourth attempt in Ontario to recognize PTSD as a work-related injury for police, firefighters and paramedics.
The Toronto Sun recently published a story of a paramedic, Patrick Allard, who suffers from PTSD:
PTSD has left Patrick Allard unable to work since last year, and he and his wife, the parents of two young children, worry about how they’ll pay the bills while he’s on partial salary through workplace long-term disability.
The WSIB was not there for him because he couldn’t point to the one incident that brought him to a PTSD diagnosis, Allard’s wife, Annik said in an interview.
“There are days when I wish my husband would have hurt his back on the road because we wouldn’t be having this issue. WSIB would be covered, his salary would be 100%, we wouldn’t be at only 75%, we wouldn’t be struggling financially, paying for all his therapy which is $150 per week,” she said. “I’m going to try and not cry. It’s been very difficult.”
Post-traumatic stress disorder is serious and the consequences to you and your loved ones could life altering. Diamond and Diamond Personal Injury Lawyers in Toronto have experience in helping PTSD patients gain the necessary support they need to recover. Many insurance companies, including the WSIB, fail to recognize the severity of psychological conditions such as PTSD. We help secure compensation that will provide a financial cusion while the illness interferes with their ability to work. If you suspect that yourself, or a relative, is experiencing PTSD, call us on our free 24/7 injury hotline at 1-800-567-HURT (4878) or contact us here.