Minnesota Workers’ Compensation
In Minnesota, workers’ compensation is handled by the Department of Labor and Industry. The office is located on Lafayette in Saint Paul. There is also a satellite office in Duluth that handles workers’ comp claims. There is no Minneapolis workers’ compensation office, as things are handled across the river. However, there are quite a few Minneapolis workers’ comp lawyers for you to talk to. The main site for workers’ comp in Minnesota can be found here: MN Workers’ Comp.
Estimate the Value of a Workers’ Comp Claim in Minnesota
Temporary
First, if you are injured at work, and are completely unable to work, you are entitled to temporary total disability (TTD) benefits. For injuries occurring after October 1, 2008, the maximum number of weeks which you are permitted to receive TTD benefits increased to 130 or 2.5 years. TTD benefits equal 2/3 of your average weekly wage. The maximum amount of weekly benefits is $850, the minimum is $130. Temporary partial benefits (TPD) are also available, calculated at 2/3 of the difference between your former wage earning ability and your current, reduced wage earning ability.
Permanent
At some point, the injured worker will reach maximum medical improvement or MMI. When this happens, the injured worker receives permanent benefits. Partial disability if the injured worker can go back to work but must live with the injury, permanent disability for serious injuries where the injured worker is unable to go back to work. For permanent partial (PPD), certain body parts correspond to a percentage of the whole body. For instance, hearing injuries can equal up to 35% of what the whole body (permanent total) disability would be worth. The full schedule of what body parts are worth what percentage can be found here.
The amounts for permanent workers’ comp benefits can be found here.
Death, Medical, and Vocational Rehab
One of the major advantages of workers’ compensation benefits in MN or elsewhere is that you do not need to pay for any of your own medical bills (assuming the employer has accepted liability). Comp also pays benefits to survivors for deaths on the job. These benefits vary based on situation. Vocational rehabilitation – intended to bring the worker back to comparable earning capacity – is available as well. All workers’ comp benefits require knowledge of the law and the process. A Minnesota workers’ comp lawyer is highly suggested.
A Good Minnesota Workers’ Comp Lawyer can Estimate MN Workers’ Comp Benefits
In seeking a good MN comp lawyer, look for one who has a great deal of experience with workers comp in MN. The way you can tell is by asking the lawyer to estimate the value of your comp claim – to tell you approximately how much your benefits will be. The ability to make this estimate by hearing only some of the facts of your case signals experience.
(Though our site is based around Maryland Workers’ Comp, the above info is about MN workers’ comp. It is not intended to be legal advice, merely to point you in the right direction.)
