Psychological Injuries
10:00 AM - 1:00 PM PST This is a virtual event
** Zoom Link will be forwarded 1-2 days prior to the workshop **
A growing proportion of Workers’ Compensation claims are for psychological injury. This may be a primary injury as the result of a significant trauma. But, a psychological diagnosis such as Major Depressive Disorder, or Somatic System Disorder, may be a compensable consequence of a physical injury. A psychological diagnosis may also be compensable based on exposure over time. How to handle these claims, seek appropriate support for the injured worker, and try to ensure they get a proper pension will be discussed in this three-hour class.
Facilitators: Sarah O’Leary, O’Leary Law and Lauren Chancellor, GKS Law
Sarah O’Leary was called to the bar in 1981 and has primarily been practicing Workers’ Compensation and disability-related law for over 30 years. She has been a workers’ advisor, a Vice-Chair at the Appeal Division, a staff lawyer at a major health care union, and practiced for 16 years at Rush Crane Guenther and Harrison O’Leary LLP. She is currently in private practice in Vancouver. Sarah has been teaching workers’ compensation advocacy to labour unions for over three decades.
Lauren Chancellor was called to the bar in 2022. She has appeared in front of administrative tribunals including WorkSafeBC’s Review Division and Worker’s Compensation Appeal Tribunal, and trial level courts in British Columbia. Lauren is in private practice at GKS Law Firm, where she represents a diverse range of injured workers in workers’ compensation and other administrative matters, including Canada Pension Plan disability appeals, College of Physicians complaints, and privacy and access complaints to the Information and Privacy Commissioner of BC.