Benefits paid for workplace injuries

Minnesota workers may know that workers’ compensation is an insurance employers provide to cover workplace injuries. This insurance does not cover injuries that are self-inflicted or ones that happen due to alcohol or drug use. Most states require that employers provide this coverage, and workers’ compensation laws are state specific. A worker is precluded from suing an employer in most cases if he or she accepts workers’ compensation benefits.

Benefits are paid by the insurer or the employer if it is self-insured. The type of benefits that are covered are those used to pay for medical expenses related to a work injury, benefits that cover permanent injury or the loss of a body part or its function and lost wages. Wage loss benefits are capped at a percentage of a worker’s income, and payments must commence within a specified period and be made at the same interval as the worker’s paycheck.

If a worker needs to be retrained because he or she may no longer be able to do the job they did before they were injured, workers’ compensation will pay for that. The family of a worker who dies due to a work-related injury may be eligible for workers’ compensation death benefits.

Eligibility for workers’ compensation is dependent on the specific circumstances surrounding a worker’s injury. It may be beneficial to consult with an attorney who deals with workers’ compensation law in Minnesota to obtain specific guidance.Such an attorney may also offer insight concerning eligibility requirements and the amount of wage loss benefits that might be available. The attorney may also help the family members of a worker killed on the job to see if they might be eligible for death benefits.