Logo
Skip to main content
insight banner image

Workplace Injury Benefits for First Responders Suffering from PTSD:

A Look at Pierson v Estevan Board of Police Commissioners
June 17, 2021
3 min read
Case Comment
  • Contact
  • Careers
  • Students
Search

Navigation Menu

  • People
    • People
  • Practice Areas
    • Practice Areas
      • Banking & Finance
        • Banks & Financial Institutions
        • Financing
        • Securities Law
      • Business & Corporate
        • Corporate Law & Governance
        • Intellectual Property & Information Technology
        • Manufacturers, Distributors & Franchisors
        • Mergers & Acquisitions, Business Transactions
        • Tax Law
      • Construction Law
        • Builders' Liens & Bond Claims
        • Construction Litigation & Arbitrations
        • Tendering & Procurement
      • Criminal & Regulatory Defence
      • Estate Planning
        • Estate Administration
        • Guardianship
        • Trusts
        • Wills, Powers of Attorney and Health Care Directives
      • Environmental & Natural Resources
        • Energy & Mining
        • Environmental Law
      • Family Law
      • Health Care
      • Immigration Law
      • Insolvency & Restructuring
      • Insurance Law
      • Labour & Employment
      • Litigation, Dispute Resolution & Appeals
        • Appellate Advocacy
        • Civil Litigation
        • Class Action Litigation
        • Commercial Litigation & Arbitrations
        • Estate Litigation
      • Malpractice in Health Care
      • Municipal Law
      • Professional Discipline
      • Real Estate & Development
        • Commercial Real Estate & Development
        • Leases, Landlords & Tenants
        • Residential Real Estate & Conveyancing
      • Regulatory & Administrative Law
        • Administrative Law
  • About the Firm
    • About the Firm
      • History
        McDougall Gauley has a rich history and traces its roots as a Saskatchewan law firm as far back as 1891.
      • Awards & Recognition
        Our lawyers are recognized across the firm’s practice areas. The firm was named a top Prairie Regional Firms by Canadian Lawyer Magazine and is a top Saskatchewan employer.
      • Careers
        To offer the high standard of legal services our clients expect, our team is made up of talented, creative people. If you think you would make a great fit, please let us know.
      • Students
        We want students with drive, integrity, and attention to detail. We strive to give you knowledge, guidance, mentorship, and experience to develop your legal career with us.
      • Contact
  • Insights
    • Insights
  • News
    • News
  • People
  • Practice Areas
    • Banking & Finance
      • Banks & Financial Institutions
      • Financing
      • Securities Law
    • Business & Corporate
      • Corporate Law & Governance
      • Intellectual Property & Information Technology
      • Manufacturers, Distributors & Franchisors
      • Mergers & Acquisitions, Business Transactions
      • Tax Law
    • Construction Law
      • Builders' Liens & Bond Claims
      • Construction Litigation & Arbitrations
      • Tendering & Procurement
    • Criminal & Regulatory Defence
    • Estate Planning
      • Estate Administration
      • Guardianship
      • Trusts
      • Wills, Powers of Attorney and Health Care Directives
    • Environmental & Natural Resources
      • Energy & Mining
      • Environmental Law
    • Family Law
    • Health Care
    • Immigration Law
    • Insolvency & Restructuring
    • Insurance Law
    • Labour & Employment
    • Litigation, Dispute Resolution & Appeals
      • Appellate Advocacy
      • Civil Litigation
      • Class Action Litigation
      • Commercial Litigation & Arbitrations
      • Estate Litigation
    • Malpractice in Health Care
    • Municipal Law
    • Professional Discipline
    • Real Estate & Development
      • Commercial Real Estate & Development
      • Leases, Landlords & Tenants
      • Residential Real Estate & Conveyancing
    • Regulatory & Administrative Law
      • Administrative Law
  • About the Firm
    • History
    • Awards & Recognition
    • Careers
    • Students
    • Contact
  • Insights
  • News
  • Contact
  • Careers
  • Students
  1. Home
  2. Insights
  3. Workplace Injury Benefits for First Responders Suffering from PTSD: A Look at Pierson v Estevan Board of Police Commissioners
Share
Author Lauren J. Wihak
Content

In the fall of 2016, the Saskatchewan Legislature amended the Workers Compensation Act to specifically allow Saskatchewan first responders – police officers, firefighters, paramedics, among others – to make claims for workplace injury benefits based on psychological injury.  In doing so, the Legislature recognized that, not only are first responders regularly exposed to horrific and traumatic events in the course of doing their jobs, but also that they are at a greater risk of suffering emotional and psychological impacts from dealing with trauma on the job.  The goal of the newly created benefits was to ensure first responders would be believed.

To that end, the Legislature recognized a presumption in favour of first responders:  if the medical evidence establishes a psychological diagnosis such as PTSD, it will be presumed that the psychological injury arose in the course of employment, and therefore that the first responder is entitled to benefits, unless the employer can sufficiently rebut that evidence and prove otherwise.

In a recent decision of the Court of Queen’s Bench, members of our team, Susan B. Barber, Q.C. and Lauren J. Wihak, obtained a decision affirming that the provisions granting psychological injury benefits to first responders must be interpreted and applied by the WCB in a manner that makes access to those benefits meaningful.  The WCB had refused to grant psychological injury benefits to a police officer based in Estevan, and who had been exposed to numerous horrific events over the course of his lengthy career. In the WCB’s view, the medical evidence did not support the conclusion that his PTSD arose because of his work as a police officer because the trigger of the officer’s PTSD symptoms was not contemporaneous to his exposure to trauma in the workplace.  In denying the officer access to psychological workplace injury benefits, the WCB did not even mention the legislative presumption. The Court of Queen’s Bench found the WCB’s approach to be unreasonable, and the matter was sent back to the WCB for reconsideration.  In particular, the Court found that, by relying on non-traumatic events at the time the officer’s PTSD symptoms manifested, the WCB had erroneously focused on the trigger of the PTSD, as opposed to its cause.  The Court therefore quashed the WCB’s decision to deny the officer access to psychological and ordered the matter back to the WCB for redetermination.

This case affirms the importance of the decision of the Saskatchewan Legislature to extend workplace injury benefits to psychological injuries, in recognition of the extent to which first responders are disproportionately affected by exposure to trauma.  It seeks to ensure that the WCB, in administering the workers compensation program in Saskatchewan, takes these claims seriously and adjudicates them fairly.

If you, or a friend or family member, are a first responder and believe you are entitled to WCB workplace injury benefits, including psychological benefits, please reach out to a member of our team.

Authors
Lauren Wihak profile image

Lauren J. Wihak

Partner
Regina
306-565-5106
lwihak@mcdougallgauley.com

The views expressed herein are solely the author's and should not be attributed to the MG LLP or its clients. Any postings on legal issues are provided as a public service, and do not constitute solicitation or provision of legal advice. The author makes no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained herein or linked to. Due to professional ethics, the author may not be able to comment on matters in which a client has an interest. Nothing herein should be used as a substitute for the advice of competent and informed counsel.

This web site/blog is presented for informational purposes only. These materials do not constitute legal advice and do not create a solicitor-client relationship between you and MG LLP. If you are seeking specific advice related to your situation, please contact MG LLP for a personal consultation.

Any unsolicited information sent to MG LLP through blogs or otherwise may not be protected by solicitor-client privilege.

MG LLP periodically provides materials on our services and developments in the law to interested persons. For permission to reprint articles or blogs, please contact marketing@mcdougallgauley.com.

This publication is protected by copyright.
© 2023 McDougall Gauley

Related Practice Areas
Labour & Employment

Footer

Footer Menu

Practice Areas
  • Banking & Finance
  • Business & Corporate
  • Construction Law
  • Criminal & Regulatory Defence
  • Estate Planning
  • Environmental & Natural Resources
  • Family Law
  • Health Care
  • Immigration Law
  • Insolvency & Restructuring
  • Insurance Law
  • Labour & Employment
  • Litigation, Dispute Resolution & Appeals
  • Malpractice in Health Care
  • Municipal Law
  • Professional Discipline
  • Real Estate & Development
  • Regulatory & Administrative Law
About the Firm
  • History
  • Awards & Recognition
  • Careers
  • Students
  • Contact
  • Insights
  • News
  • People
  • Saskatoon
    500 - 616 Main Street, Saskatoon SK S7H 0J6
    T (306) 653-1212
    F (306) 652-1323

    Regina
    1500 - 1881 Scarth Street, Regina SK S4P 4K9
    T (306) 757-1641
    F (306) 359-0785

© Copyright 2023 McDougall Gauley LLP.  All rights reserved.

Tertiary Menu

  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy

Social Media Menu

Cautionary note: If you are not presently a client of McDougall Gauley LLP, any information you communicate in your email is not protected by lawyer/client confidentiality, nor is a lawyer/client relationship established by our receipt of this email. Before we can discuss your matter, we must ensure that we do not have a conflict of interest. Please do not send us any confidential information in your e-mail.

I Understand