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Workers Compensation Minnesota encompasses three main types of benefits: (1) wage loss benefits; (2) medical benefits; and (3) vocational rehabilitation benefits.

What are the requirements to receive benefits?

The requirements to receive workers compensation Minnesota benefits are that an injury is sustained (1) arising out of employment (not arising out of a personal condition or horseplay, for example); and (2) during the course of employment. This simply means that the injury would not have happened unless the employee was working.

Wage Loss Benefits

There are three types of wage loss benefits in workers compensation Minnesota.

Temporary Total Disability benefits are paid to employees who are completely unable to work because of a work injury. This amount is calculated based on the employee’s average weekly gross wages from the 26 weeks prior to the work injury, and is 2/3 of this average weekly wage, subject to a maximum limit.

Temporary Partial Disability benefits are paid to employees who are able to work—but not as much or at a lesser paying position. The compensation rate is 2/3 of the difference between what the employee earned at the time of the work injury, and what the employee is earning at the lesser paying job.

Permanent Total Disability benefits are available for workers who cannot work at anything other than sporadic employment.

Medical Benefits

Under the Minnesota workers’ compensation system, people who suffer a work injury are entitled to have their medical bills paid by their employer and its workers’ compensation insurer as long as two conditions are met: (1) the medical treatment must be reasonable and necessary to treat the employee’s conditions; and (2) the medical treatment must be causally related to the work injury. There are also rules regarding the types of medical treatment that are covered by the workers’ compensation system, as well as the duration for the treatment.

Vocational Rehabilitation Benefits

Vocational rehabilitation benefits are available in workers compensation Minnesota claims. These benefits include an initial consultation with Qualified Rehabilitation Consultant (“QRC”). And, for employees who are eligible for rehabilitation benefits, medical case management from the QRC (the QRC comes to your doctor appointments and clarifies work restrictions), job search assistance from the QRC if the employee is not able to return to the same employer after an injury, and, for some employees, retraining benefits if they are not able to return to the same profession.

How Disputes are Resolved

When disputes arise between employees and employers regarding the benefits to which the employee may receive, mediators at the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry will become involved, or the matter will be heard by a Workers Compensation Minnesota Judge at the Office of Administrative Hearings. If you have a dispute, you should contact an experienced workers compensation Minnesota attorney.