911 dispatcher’s PTSD claim compensable, Oregon judge rules

A 911 dispatcher in Oregon who claimed she had post-traumatic stress disorder related to a 1996 incident in which she dispatched officers to a scene where a suspect had been shot is eligible for workers compensation, the state Court of Appeals in Salem, Oregon, ruled Wednesday.

The latest ruling in Sheila L. Minor v. Saif Corp. and Coos County reversed an earlier Workers’ Compensation Board decision that upheld the original denial of her occupational disease claim for a mental injury, which was documented by a psychiatrist. It did so on the grounds that the board failed to prove her injury was not work-related, according to documents.

“Claimant argues that the board had no grounds on which to reject the opinion of claimant’s psychiatrist and that, as a result, the board’s order is not supported by substantial evidence or substantial reason. We conclude that the board’s order lacks substantial reason to support its finding that the psychiatrist’s opinion was unreliable and, accordingly, reverse and remand,” the appeals court ruling states.