A person who is injured while working may be entitled to benefits under Minnesota workers’ compensation law. Determining eligibility and going about getting the compensation you deserve requires a good grasp of the Minnesota work comp laws, which are very complicated. Here is a basic breakdown.
Every Minnesota employer is required by law to have work comp insurance. An employee is eligible for work comp benefits if that employee suffers any of the following rising out of and in the course of employment:
- Personal Injury (regardless of who caused it)
- Occupational Disease (such as carpal tunnel syndrome)
- Death
If you suffer any of these injuries during work, you could be entitled to benefits, but it’s not as easy as just collecting a check from your employer. There are certain things you need to prove in order to collect your compensation. Specifically, you must prove that:
- You have sustained a personal injury/illness
- This injury occurred “arising out of the employment.” In this sense there must be a “causal connection between the employment and the injury.” Injuries are determined case by case, and some are much easier to prove than others. For example, a crate falling on you at work is easier to determine than a back injury caused by years of heavy lifting.
- You have sustained the injury “in the course of the employment,” or, in other words, that the injury took place at work, during work hours.
If you can prove all of these factors, then you are eligible for workers’ compensation benefits, but the amount of compensation you receive is still a point of contention. Some employers will fight to make sure you get the bare minimum of compensation. That is where a skilled Minneapolis work comp lawyer can help make sure you get everything you deserve.
Call or text the workers’ comp lawyers at 612-INJURED at (612) 465-8733 for a free consultation.
