Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Workers’ Compensation Evaluations

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Book cover Clinical Guide to Mental Disability Evaluations

Abstract

Disability evaluations in workers’ compensation cases have unique issues for treating and forensic clinicians to address. Clinicians need to assess not only psychiatric impairment but also whether that impairment arose out of and in the course of employment. This chapter reviews methods for that assessment; and potential limitations typically based on the nature of the relationship between the clinician and patient, as well as the types of corroborating information needed to adequately make the assessment. Treating clinicians particularly are cautioned as to how far to express opinions given their therapeutic alliance with the patient. Stepwise approaches in such assessments are outlined.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 89.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • American Psychiatric Association: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edn., Text revision. American Psychiatric Association, Washington, DC (2000)

    Google Scholar 

  • Bruce, M.L., Seeman, T.E., Merrill, S.S., et al.: The impact of depressive symptomatology on physical disability: MacArthur studies on successful aging. Am. J. Public Health 84(11), 1796–1799 (1994)

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Butcher, J.N., Graham, J.R., Ben-Porath, Y.S., et al.: Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2: Manual for Administration and Scoring. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis (2001)

    Google Scholar 

  • Cairns v. City of East Orange, 267 N.J. Super. 395, 631 A. 2d 978 (App Div. 1993)

    Google Scholar 

  • Cocchiarella, L., Landersson, G.B.J. (eds.) American Medical Association: Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, 5th edn. American Medical Association, Chicago (2001)

    Google Scholar 

  • Colorado Code Regulations, 7 Sec. 1101-3 (1996)

    Google Scholar 

  • Christopher, P.P., Arikan, R., Pinals, D., et al.: Evaluating psychiatric disability: Differences by forensic expertise. J. Am. Acad. Psychiatry Law 39(2), 183–188 (2011)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Drukteinis, A.M.: Personnel issues in workers’ compensation claims. Am. J. Forensic Psychiatry 18(3), 3–23 (1997)

    Google Scholar 

  • Drukteinis, A.M.: Pain disorders in litigation: Psychiatric update and evaluation guide. Am. J. Forensic Psychiatry 30(1), 5–105 (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  • Drukteinis, A.M.: Disability. In: Simon, R.I., Gold, L.H. (eds.) Textbook of Forensic Psychiatry, 2nd edn., pp. 283–301. American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc., Washington, DC (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  • Franche, R.L., Carnide, N., Hogg-Johnson, S., et al.: Course, diagnosis, and treatment of depressive symptomatology in workers following a workplace injury: A prospective cohort study. Can. J. Psychiatry 54(8), 534–546 (2009)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gold, L.H., Anfang, S.A., Drukteinis, A.M., et al.: AAPL practice guideline for the forensic evaluation of psychiatric disability. J. Am. Acad. Psychiatry Law 36(Suppl 4), S3–S50 (2008)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gold, L.H.: Commentary: Challenges in providing psychiatric disability evaluations. J. Am. Acad. Psychiatry Law 39(2), 189–196 (2011)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hedlund, J.L., Viewig, B.W.: Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale: A comprehensive review. J. Oper. Psychiatry 11, 48–55 (1980)

    Google Scholar 

  • Kessler, R.C., Barber, C., Birnbaum, H.G., et al.: Depression in the workplace: Effects on short term disability. Health Aff. 18(5), 163–171 (1999)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kiselica, D., Sibson, B., Green-McKenzie, J.: Workers’ compensation: A historical review and description of a legal and social insurance system. Clin. Occup. Environ. Med. 4(2), 237–247 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kovach v. Henry Ford Hospital, 207 Mich. App.107, 523 N.W.2d 800 (1994)

    Google Scholar 

  • Larson, A., Larson, L.K.: Workers Compensation Law. Matthew Bender and Co., Newark (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  • Lawrence, J.: The causation issue in workers’ compensation mental disability cases: An analysis, solutions and a perspective. Vanderbilt Law Rev. 36, 263 (1983)

    Google Scholar 

  • Lenesis, P.M.: Workers Compensation: A Reference and Guide. Quorum Books, Westport (1998)

    Google Scholar 

  • Maine Revised Statutes Annotated, 39-A, Sec. 207 (2001)

    Google Scholar 

  • McDonald, J.J., Kulick, F.P.: The rise of the psychological injury claim. In: McDonald, J. (ed.) Mental and Emotional Injuries in Employment Litigation, 2nd edn., pp. xxxvi–xxxviii. Bureau of National Affairs, Washington, DC (2001)

    Google Scholar 

  • Metzner, J.L., Struthers, D.R., Fogel, M.A.: Psychiatric disability determination and personal injury litigation. In: Rosner, R. (ed.) Principles and Practice of Forensic Psychiatry, pp. 232–241. Arnold, London (1994)

    Google Scholar 

  • New Hampshire Revised Statutes Annotated 281-A:32 (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  • New Hampshire Revised Statutes Annotated 281-A:38, II (2011)

    Google Scholar 

  • New Hampshire Supply Company v. Steinberg 400 A. 2d 1163 (1979)

    Google Scholar 

  • Rondinelli, R.D. (ed.) American Medical Association: Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, 6th edn. American Medical Association, Chicago (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  • Ryan v. Connor, 28 Ohio St. 3d 406, 503 N.E. 2d 1379 (1986)

    Google Scholar 

  • Schrimpf, S.A.: Workers’ compensation for mental stress arising from personnel decisions. Cincinnati Law Rev. 56, 587–613 (1987)

    Google Scholar 

  • Speiser, S.M., Krause, C.F., Gans, A.W.: The American Law of Torts. Clark Boardman Callaghan, Deerfield (1985)

    Google Scholar 

  • Strasburger, L.H., Gutheil, T.G., Brodsky, A.: On wearing two hats: Role conflict in serving as both psychotherapist and expert witness. Am. J. Psychiatry 154(4), 448–456 (1997)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tucker, A.: A matter of fairness: How denying mental–mental claims frustrates the central purpose of workers’ compensation law. J. Leg. Med. 31(4), 467–484 (2010)

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Airways v. Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board (Panyko), 779A.2d 1233 (Pa. Commw. Ct 2001)

    Google Scholar 

  • Vermont Statutes Annotated, 21 Sec. 655 (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  • Washington State Legislature: Categories for evaluation of permanent impairments of mental health. http://apps.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=296-20-340 (1974). Accessed 4 Mar 2012

  • West Virginia Code Sec. 23-4-1f (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams, C.D.: Disability and occupational assessment: Objective diagnosis and quantitative impairment rating. Harv. Rev. Psychiatry 18(6), 336–352 (2010)

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Dartmouth Medical School, 1750 Elm Street #601, Manchester, NH, 03104, USA

    Albert M. Drukteinis

Authors
  1. Albert M. Drukteinis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Albert M. Drukteinis .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Department of Psychiatry, Georgetown University School of Medicine, N. Glebe Rd. 2501, Washington, DC, 22207, Vermont, USA

    Liza H. Gold

  2. PRMS, Inc., Risk Management, Wilson Blvd #700 1401, Arlington, 22209, Virginia, USA

    Donna L. Vanderpool

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Drukteinis, A.M. (2013). Workers’ Compensation Evaluations. In: Gold, L., Vanderpool, D. (eds) Clinical Guide to Mental Disability Evaluations. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5447-2_8

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation