The Law Offices of Miles W. Lord and Associates

Minnesota Workers’ Compensation

Minnesota Workers’ Compensation legislation was first enacted in Minnesota by the legislature in 1913. It was enacted to ensure that Minnesota workers would be provided various mandatory, yet limited, rights to compensation.

Generally, an injury is deemed to arise out of and in the course of employment where it results from a specific injury or incident at work or is the result of repetitive work activities which culminate in injury.

Once it is established that a Minnesota employee has sustained an injury arising out of and in the course of employment, that employee becomes entitled to four distinct and exclusive benefits under Minnesota law.

Wage Loss Benefits: This benefit is designed to reimburse wages where an employee is either completely unable to return to work or returns to work at a wage loss.

Vocational Rehabilitation and Retaining Benefits: This benefit is designed to assist the injured worker vocationally in returning to gainful employment as close as possible to the date of pre-injury wage.

Permanent Partial Disability Benefits: This benefit is designed to compensate the employee monetarily for the loss of function associated with and injury.

Medical Benefits: This benefit includes a wide variety of medical care and treatment such as medical, hospital and surgical care and treatment, chiropractic, osteopathic and physical therapy, durable medical equipment, health clubs, medical mileage and other reasonable and necessary medical treatment to cure or relieve the effects of injury.

The exact amount and duration of these four benefits will vary from case to case depending upon not only the nature and extent of injury, but also the date of injury.

The Minnesota Workers' Compensation system is constantly evolving. As a result, it is helpful, if not necessary, to seek the advice of an attorney practicing in the area of Minnesota Workers' Compensation in order to assess the extent and nature of rights and benefits an injured worker may be entitled to.

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