There’s been a growing understanding of just how seriously the job of a first responder can affect their mental health. This increased understanding – and changes in the law regarding workers’ compensation for post-traumatic stress injuries (PTSI) – can be credited to the advocacy of first responders themselves, as well as loved ones of first responders who suffered PTSI and, in some cases, died by suicide.
Here in Pennsylvania, the law was amended in 2025 to make it easier for first responders to get workers’ comp for PTSI – and therefore to get the mental health treatment they need. It’s been estimated that almost one out of seven first responders has PTSI.
How has the law been amended?
The change in the law, which applies to police, firefighters, paramedics and emergency medical technicians (EMTs), removes the requirement that first responders prove that their PTSI involved “abnormal working conditions.” The condition, which must be diagnosed by a licensed psychologist or psychiatrist, needs to be caused by “the individual undergoing a qualifying traumatic event and…sustained in the course and scope of the individual’s employment as a first responder.”
First responders diagnosed with PTSI can qualify for workers’ comp benefits for PTSI caused by a single traumatic event or an accumulation of events over time. The amendment to the law removes a burden that many first responders couldn’t overcome in the past and one “that kept too many from care,” according to the state fire commissioner.
While this change in the law is an important step in helping first responders who suffer PTSI as a result of the things they experience as they do their jobs, it doesn’t mean that getting workers’ comp to cover the care they need is always going to be easy. It’s important for first responders to know the law and advocate for their rights. Having experienced legal guidance can make a difference in getting the benefits and treatment they need.