Pennsylvania Act 121 makes it easier for first responders to seek workers’ compensation benefits for post-traumatic stress injuries (PTSI), also known as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The law could be a game-changer for individuals struggling with mental issues connected to their jobs in law enforcement, firefighting, or emergency medical services.
The law firm of Calhoon and Kaminsky P.C. can help you understand the new law and how it may affect PTSI workers’ comp claims for first responders in Pennsylvania. We want to help you seek benefits for your medical treatment and lost wages.
Why PA Act 121 Matters and What First Responders Should Expect
Act 121, Pennsylvania’s new PTSD law for first responders, matters because it recognizes that first responders are at risk for workplace mental health injuries, as well as physical injuries. First responders should have an easier time securing workers’ comp benefits for PTSI under the new law.
Prior to Act 121, first responders had to prove that an “abnormal working condition” caused their PTSI. The previous standard ignored the fact that abnormal conditions are often a regular part of a first responder’s job. For example, police witness violence and crime, emergency medical professionals see people who have experienced physical trauma, and firefighters rescue people who are badly burned.
Under the new workers’ comp PTSD law for first responders, they need only show that a single traumatic event or cumulative exposure to severely stressful situations has occurred.
Who Qualifies as a First Responder?
Act 121 states that first responders include:
- Emergency medical services (EMS) providers
- Firefighters
- Pennsylvania State Police officers
- Peace officers
What ‘Qualifying Traumatic Events’ Mean
According to the law, qualifying traumatic events include incidents and exposure that occur at work and involve:
- Serious bodily injury or death to an individual
- Injury, abuse, exploitation, or death involving a minor
- An immediate threat to the first responder’s life or the life of another individual
- Events involving mass casualties
- Crime scene investigations
Parameters to Guide the Workers’ Compensation Claims Process
Parameters under the new law guide claims for PA PTSD first responders’ workers’ comp. To file, claimants must:
- Have a diagnosis from a licensed mental health care provider
- File claims within three years of a PTSI diagnosis, and the injury must have occurred no more than five years before the date Act 121 became effective (Oct. 29, 2025)
Additionally, claimants cannot seek workers’ comp for injuries resulting from employment actions, such as transfers or terminations.
Workers’ comp benefits for PTSI may last throughout the period of injury, but not more than 104 weeks (two years).
Contact the Workers’ Comp Lawyers at Calhoon and Kaminsky for Help
For more than 20 years, Calhoon and Kaminsky P.C. has served injured workers in Pennsylvania. We focus exclusively on workers’ compensation claims, and we represent only employees and their families – never employers, insurance companies, or corporations.
If you suffer from PTSD connected to your role as a first responder, we want to help you navigate the process for a claim under Act 121. Contact our Pennsylvania workers’ compensation attorneys today to learn more. We offer free initial consultations.
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Mr. Kaminsky was raised in Towanda, a small town in Northeastern Pennsylvania, where his parents instilled in him traditional values of hard work and caring for your community. This is reflected in his dedication to protecting injured workers’ rights and ensuring Employers take responsibility for their employee’s injuries.
