Supreme Court Clarifies Standard for Compensability of Psyche Injuries

The Missouri Supreme Court unanimously overturned an award of benefits to a municipal worker for her psychological injuries from witnessing horrific accidents on the state’s highways, saying she needed to prove her distress was “extraordinary and unusual” as compared to other similarly situated employees. Case: Mantia v. Missouri Department of Transportation, No. SC95885, 09/12/2017, published. Facts: Linda Mantia had worked for the Missouri Department of Transportation for more than 20 years, responding to accident scenes on the highways.  On average, she said, ...