Over 30 Years Experience

Month: April 2020

Burnout and long-term disability

Posted on by Walter Law Group

Workers across Ontario are facing employment challenges that most would have never expected. And as stressful as the job market already is, it can be even more overwhelming to navigate if you suffer from a severe and long-term disability.

In some cases, extended periods of physical and mental anxiety due to work actually cause or contribute to serious health problems. This could be the situation for workers struggling with burnout.

What is burnout?

Workers in some occupations experience immense exhaustion due to high-stakes performance requirements, long hours or exposure to dangerous conditions.

Over time, this environment can take a devastating toll on a person’s mental and physical health. They can become cynical, careless and anxious.

Further, according to the Mayo Clinic, a person suffering from job-related burnout can have several different symptoms of this condition, including:

  • Depression
  • Difficulty sleeping
  • Fatigue
  • Irritability
  • High blood pressure
  • Increased risk of becoming sick
  • Heart disease

Without addressing the work or expectations causing the burnout, these and other serious symptoms can persist and become worse over time.

Is burnout disabling?

Although job burnout can affect workers in several severe ways, it likely would not be considered disabling in the context of disability benefits.

That said, it is possible for burnout to cause or contribute to conditions that do prevent a worker from performing his or her current job or a similar job. If this sounds like your situation, depending on your insurance, your condition could meet the definition of disability.

Seeking support for burnout

If you are experiencing mental or physical exhaustion due to your job, it is crucial that you seek support. Such support can include therapy, medical care, job accommodations or a new job altogether. These options can help you cope with stress and treat your symptoms.

Unfortunately, in some cases, burnout and the illnesses it exacerbates or causes makes it impossible for a person to continue working. And being unable to work and collect an income can only make things more stressful. In these situations, it can be critical to examine the options for pursuing disability benefits to help you through this difficult time.

Symptoms of a brain injury you should not ignore after a crash

Posted on by Walter Law Group

After any car accident, victims can experience a wide range of injuries. And these injuries can change a person’s life in the blink of an eye.

For example, brain injuries are not uncommon in a crash, and they can be particularly catastrophic. However, too many people think that a brain injury has to be severe to be devastating. That is not true: Even a mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) has the potential to change a person’s life forever.

Symptoms of a traumatic brain injury

When brain injuries are severe, the symptoms are typically acute and obvious. A severe brain injury resulting in physical damage to a brain can result in:

  • Loss of consciousness
  • Seizures
  • Coma
  • Slurred speech
  • Fluid draining from ears or nose

Seemingly minor traumatic brain injuries (MTBI), like concussions, can also have devastating consequences for accident victims. However, the symptoms may be more subtle. It can also take some time for victims to recognize something as a possible sign of a brain injury. Therefore, you should be mindful of the following signs of an MTBI:

  • Headaches
  • Changes in mood, behaviour or personality
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Vomiting or nausea
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Poor balance

These symptoms could mean that a person’s injury resulted in damage to brain cells or structures.

Impact of MTBIs

These and other symptoms of MTBIs can affect a person’s life in many ways.

MTBI sufferers who experience anxiety, depression or other mental conditions after an accident can require ongoing therapy, medication and possibly professional observation.

Personality changes after a brain injury could strain personal relationships and disrupt familial ties and marriages. Personality changes could affect a person’s lifestyle and well-being if these changes make a person more irritable or less averse to risk-taking.

Symptoms like loss of balance, headaches and difficulty concentrating could make it all but impossible for a person to go back to their job or perform well in school.

Considering the toll MTBIs can take on a person, it is critical to take symptoms of concussions and other brain injuries very seriously. Even if symptoms seem minor, victims should discuss them with their doctor.