Comp benefits properly awarded to officer with PTSD

A former police officer diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after learning about the shooting death of a fellow officer was properly awarded permanent partial disability benefits for his work-related injuries, a Missouri appellate court has ruled.

The Court of Appeals of Missouri, Western District on Tuesday dismissed an appeal by the City of Clinton, which argued that former police officer Robert Dahman failed to show his work-related PTSD was “extraordinary and unusual” necessary to justify his workers compensation claim.

Mr. Dahman was working an overnight shift on Aug. 6, 2017, when fellow officer Gary Michael was shot and killed by a suspect.

Mr. Dahman found Mr. Michael shot and unconscious on the ground. Mr. Michael later died from his injuries.

At the time of the incident, Mr. Dahman spent time in and around the crime scene as the department launched a manhunt to search for the suspect. He feared the suspect would return and shoot him as well.

Mr. Dahman, who began exhibiting symptoms of PTSD soon after the incident, resigned from the department in October 2017 and later filed a comp claim.

A judge found Mr. Dahman’s PTSD to be compensable, ruling that the injury was “extraordinary and unusual” but the city appealed.

In its decision, the appellate court ruled that Mr. Dahman was properly awarded benefits because his PTSD diagnosis stemmed from an extraordinarily and unusually stressful situation measured by objective standards.