Getting injured on the job can be physically, mentally, and financially devastating. Fortunately, workers’ compensation coverage and, occasionally, personal injury lawsuits allow you to seek the benefits and money you deserve for the injuries you’ve suffered. However, when you’ve been injured at work, exercising your rights and properly utilizing those laws requires the experience and skill of a reputable workplace injury attorney.
Meshbesher Law Firm has decades of experience fighting for the rights of injury victims in Minneapolis and throughout Minnesota. When a workplace injury keeps you from earning paychecks while medical bills, utility bills, mortgage payments, car payments, and more continue to pile up, we can put our considerable resources to work to secure the compensation you need. Call our office today or contact us online for a free consultation about how we can help you.
Day in and day out, the team at Meshbesher Law Firm represents injured workers in both workers’ compensation claims and personal injury cases. This means we have both a keen sense of compassion for those whose lives have been upended by a workplace injury and a passion for seeking justice on their behalf.
Our firm has been recognized by the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, and we’ve been named to the National Trial Lawyers Top 100. We have a long track record of successful verdicts and settlements we’ve achieved for our clients.
We can handle cases of any size, and we’ll never leave you wondering about the current state of your case. When you work with us, you’ll get compassionate treatment, an understanding ear, and fierce representation that puts you and your needs first.
Workplace injuries come in many forms, and they don’t necessarily have to be dramatic to be debilitating. These are among the most common:
Minnesota has a “no-fault” workers’ comp system. That means you don’t need to prove that your employer was negligent in order for you to qualify for benefits. Employers in Minnesota are obligated to provide workers’ comp insurance for all their workers, whether full or part-time.
Your employer is obligated to file a First Report of Injury form within ten days of your report. Then, the insurer has 14 days to accept or deny your claim.
Wage-loss Benefits
If you’re unable to work because of your injuries, you could be entitled to temporary total disability (TTD) benefits. These benefits pay two-thirds of your average weekly wage. If you return to work that pays less than your pre-injury wages, you could be entitled to temporary partial disability benefits, which pay two-thirds of the difference between your current wage and your pre-injury average weekly wage. If you can never return to work, you may be entitled to permanent total disability benefits (PTD). These benefits, with certain exceptions, are paid at the TTD rate.
Permanent Partial Disability
If your injury results in a permanent loss of or loss of use of a part of your body, you could be entitled to permanent partial disability (PPD) benefits. These benefits are calculated based on an impairment rating from your doctor and a disability schedule found in Minnesota statutes.
Medical Benefits
Your employer is required to provide the reasonable and necessary medical treatment to relieve or cure the effects of your workplace injury. Per Minnesota Statutes 176.135, subd. 1 that includes “any medical, psychological, chiropractic, podiatric, surgical and hospital treatment.” Treatment by this definition also includes medical equipment, medicines, supplies, and more. Disputes often develop over whether medical treatment is reasonable and necessary.
Vocational Rehabilitation
These benefits are designed to help those injured in the workplace return to their former job or prepare for new employment. Minnesota law requires that the new job “produces an economic status as close as possible to that the employee would have enjoyed without disability.”
Workers’ compensation is an exclusive remedy in Minnesota. That means you can’t sue your employer for a workplace injury if you’re receiving workers’ compensation. However, if someone other than your employer caused your injuries, such as the manufacturer of the machine that malfunctioned and caused the injury, they could be liable for your losses. We can pursue the compensation you deserve from the at-fault party through a third-party personal injury claim.
In a personal injury claim, you can seek compensation for losses that aren’t covered by workers’ compensation, such as pain and suffering, or the full amount of your lost wages. If a third party’s actions or inaction harmed you while you were working, you can file both types of claims to secure the maximum compensation for your injuries and losses.
Assuming you’ve already sought the necessary medical attention, the most important things to do following a workplace injury are:
Workplace injury lawyers know the ins and outs of securing compensation for those who were harmed in the workplace. They can file your workers’ comp claims, determine whether a third-party personal injury claim is a possibility, offer guidance on how to maximize your claims, inform you of your rights, and handle the entire legal process.
When our lawyers take on your case, you have only one job: to focus on healing from your injuries. We’ll do the rest.
If you were injured on the job and you need someone to fight for you, Meshbesher Law Firm can help. We’ll keep you updated on the status of your case. You’ll never have to pay any lawyer fees unless we secure compensation for you. Schedule your free consultation today.
