Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department v. Mottram
SimpleOriginal

Summary

The Supreme Court of VA held that a firefighter’s PTSD qualified as an occupational disease under the state workers comp law, where repeated exposure to traumatic emergency events caused neurobiological changes linked to his work.

2002 | State Juristiction

Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department v. Mottram

Keywords firefighter PTSD; occupational disease; workers comp; traumatic emergency events; neurobiological changes; work-related PTSD; emergency responder mental health; first responder
Open Case as PDF

Summary

The Virginia Supreme Court determined that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) experienced by a firefighter met the criteria for an occupational disease under state workers' compensation law. This ruling recognized that the firefighter's PTSD resulted from repeated exposure to traumatic emergency incidents, which led to work-related neurobiological alterations.

Open Case as PDF

Summary

The Virginia Supreme Court ruled that a firefighter's post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an occupational disease under state workers' compensation law. This decision was based on evidence showing that repeated exposure to traumatic emergency situations led to neurobiological changes in the firefighter, which were directly related to their job duties.

Open Case as PDF

Summary

The Virginia Supreme Court determined that a firefighter's post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) could be considered an occupational disease under state workers' compensation law. This ruling recognized that repeated exposure to traumatic emergencies on the job led to neurobiological changes in the firefighter, directly connecting the condition to his work.

Open Case as PDF

Summary

The highest court in Virginia made a decision about a firefighter. This firefighter had a type of stress called PTSD. The court said that the firefighter's PTSD was a sickness caused by his job. This is because he saw many traumatic things at work over and over. These events changed his brain because of his work.

Open Case as PDF

Footnotes and Citation

Cite

Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department v. Mottram, 263 Va. 365, 559 S.E.2d 698 (2002)

Highlights