Workers Compensation in Minnesota
One moment, you’re doing your job as usual. The next, you’re hurt, unable to work, and facing an avalanche of medical bills. How will you pay your expenses? What if your injury prevents you from returning to work anytime soon?
Getting workers’ compensation benefits isn’t always straightforward. Insurance companies may delay payments, dispute your claim, or offer less than you deserve. Understanding your rights and taking the right steps after an injury can make all the difference.
This guide walks you through how workers’ compensation works in Minnesota, what you should do after an injury, and how an attorney can help you fight for the benefits you need.
Workers Compensation Statistics in Minnesota?
Workplace injuries are a reality for thousands of workers across Minnesota. In 2023, private-sector employers in the state reported approximately 79,600 nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses, with an incidence rate of 3.0 cases per 100 full-time employees—higher than the national average.
Certain industries in Minnesota see more workplace injuries than others:
- Healthcare and Social Assistance: With an incidence rate of 4.5 per 100 employees, workers in this sector frequently suffer from overexertion, lifting injuries, and exposure to infectious diseases.
- Manufacturing: With an injury rate of 3.8 per 100 workers, common hazards include repetitive motion injuries, machine-related accidents, and falls.
- Construction: A high-risk industry where falls from heights, electrocutions, and equipment-related injuries are common.
How Does Workers Comp Work in Minnesota?
Minnesota’s workers’ compensation program ensures that employees injured on the job receive necessary medical care and wage replacement benefits. To qualify, the injury must have occurred while performing work duties or as a direct result of the job.
Most Minnesota employers are required to provide workers’ compensation coverage. The available benefits include:
- Medical Treatment: Covers doctor visits, hospital stays, surgeries, medications, and rehabilitation services.
- Temporary Total Disability (TTD): If your injury prevents you from working, you can receive two-thirds of your average weekly wage, up to the state’s maximum limit.
- Temporary Partial Disability (TPD): If you can return to work in a limited capacity, TPD benefits cover part of your lost wages.
- Permanent Partial or Total Disability: Provides compensation if your injury leads to long-term impairments or prevents you from returning to work.
- Vocational Rehabilitation: Covers job retraining and placement services if your injury prevents you from continuing in your previous job.
- Death Benefits: Financial assistance for dependents, including funeral expense coverage, if a worker dies due to a work-related injury.
Minnesota requires most employers to have workers’ compensation, but exemptions exist in MN Statutes 176.041. Benefits include lost wages, medical bills, and vocational rehabilitation services for people injured on the job who cannot go back to work. The Department of Labor and Industry gives ⅔ of the last year’s average weekly salary to approved individuals for up to 130 weeks, unless permanent disability is necessary.
Get Medical Attention
After a workplace injury, seeking medical treatment right away is essential. Not only does it ensure you receive proper care, but it also provides critical documentation linking your injury to your job—a necessary element for a successful workers’ compensation claim.
In Minnesota, you generally have the right to choose your own doctor for treatment. However, if your employer is part of a managed care plan, you may be required to visit a provider within that network.
Even if your injury seems minor, don’t delay seeking medical attention. Conditions such as repetitive stress injuries or internal damage may worsen over time if left untreated.
Keep detailed records of all medical visits, treatments, and prescriptions. These documents will be essential if your claim is challenged or if you require long-term benefits.
File a First Report of Injury
Once you’ve received medical care, the next step is reporting the injury to your employer. Minnesota law requires employees to report workplace injuries within 14 days, though it’s best to report as soon as possible to avoid complications.
Your employer is responsible for filing a First Report of Injury (FROI) with their insurance provider and the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI). This report should include:
- The date, time, and location of the injury.
- A description of how the accident occurred.
- Information about the medical treatment received.
Minnesota gives employees injured on the job three years to apply for workers’ compensation. Any attempts to obtain benefits after that time may result in a denial. After seeking medical attention, report the injury to your employer as soon as you become aware that one occurred.
Minnesota has a three calendar day waiting period that starts on the first day of lost time at work. If the injuries are severe enough to justify permanent disability benefits, you may apply for lifelong compensation.
Why You Should Hire a Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
Even though Minnesota’s workers’ compensation system is designed to help injured employees, the claims process can be difficult to navigate. Insurance companies often look for ways to reduce payouts or deny claims altogether.
Don’t question how workers comp works and risk losing your claim. Hire a Minnesota workers’ comp lawyer and ensure you have an advocate to fight for your rights.
Work With an Experienced Local Lawyer in Minnesota
Your health and well-being need to come first. If you are hurt while working or find out an illness you are suffering is the result of your job, you will want to seek compensation.
We can connect you with a local attorney or one across Minnesota state lines.
Submit a request online or call us at (866) 345-6784 to find a workers’ compensation lawyer today!
About the Author
Aaron is a professional legal writer with a B.S. in English Education from Southern Illinois University – Carbondale. He has written, published, and edited thousands of legal articles for RequestLegalHelp, which has connected over 5 million people to legal help in the United States.
With over five years of experience writing thousands of legal articles for law firms across the U.S. and Canada, Aaron specializes in covering federal, state, and city-level legal issues ranging from auto accidents to wrongful terminations.
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