If you get injured on the job, you may need to file a Minnesota work injury claim. Understanding those Minnesota’s legal standards requires an experienced attorney willing to take your case to a hearing if necessary. We have compiled a summary of what types of injuries qualify and a few exceptions that might influence whether your injury is covered.
Most Work Injuries Get Covered Under Workers’ Comp Claim Law
If you were injured as an employee while working for a Minnesota company, the chances are very good your injury will be covered. There are, though, some exceptions. To help understand how Minnesota work injury exceptions can help or harm your workers’ compensation claim, you must consider a few questions.
Are You Employed in Minnesota?
Your injury must occur in Minnesota, and your employment status must be in Minnesota. Different laws might apply if you are a contractor from another location outside Minnesota.
Do You Work in Minnesota for a Minnesota Company?
Your employer’s status is also a critical consideration. For example, is your employer a Minnesota company? If not, your injury might get covered by the state where your employer is located. Injuries that occur in Minnesota while working for an Illinois-based company must follow Illinois workers’ compensation laws.
Additionally, Minnesota’s statutes provide a list of exclusions, including sole proprietors and farmer’s family members.
Three Types of Minnesota Work Injuries Are Covered
There are three main categories of injury that fall under Minnesota workers’ compensation law:
- Caused by work activities
- Aggravated by work activities
- Accelerated by work activities
If your injury falls under one of these categories and the answer to the first two questions is “yes,” you might have a workers’ compensation claim.
Not All Injuries Are Easily Covered
The sentence above says, “might have a workers’ compensation claim” because not every type of Minnesota work injury gets covered under the state’s workers’ compensation programs. Some mental health issues, for example, are not covered or are challenging to prove.
You must show a clear line of causation from your injured status to your employer. So, if you suffer from anxiety because your boss yelled at you, you might not qualify unless you can prove your boss’ actions directly caused the anxiety or that you have a documented case of PTSD.
Some Injuries are Easy to Figure Out
Physical injuries are the easiest to establish as qualifying under Minnesota Workers’ Compensation law.
Slip and Falls
A Minnesota work injury sustained from a slip and fall at your place of employment is the simplest but clearest example. If you were on the job, slipped, and fell, resulting in an injury, you will qualify for workers’ compensation unless your employer can prove you were not injured on the job or were negligent.
Trauma and Burns
These are also good examples of injuries that, if caused on the job, are almost automatically approved as eligible for a workers’ comp claim. The only way they are not is if the employer can prove they happened elsewhere or because the injured party was not following safety protocols or was otherwise negligent.
You Should Talk to a Qualified, Experienced Workers’ Comp Claim Lawyer
While Minnesota workers’ comp might cover some injuries on the job, you will not know for sure unless you discuss your case with a competent workers’ compensation lawyer. You want to work with an attorney that specializes in workers’ compensation.
Part-Time Is Not Sufficient
Part-time workers’ compensation lawyers may not be up-to-date on the current Minnesota law. Minnesota’s workers’ compensation laws and regulations frequently change, so you want somebody who tracks those updates. A full-time attorney will be comfortable going to trial because they understand the Minnesota work injury laws inside and out.
Get the Compensation You Deserve for Your Minnesota Work Injury
Minnesota workers’ compensation law is pretty straightforward, even though there are a few exceptions. That is why you need a competent workers’ comp claim attorney on your side from the moment you are injured until you get what you deserve. Contact Mottaz & Sisk Injury Law for help with your Minnesota work injury claim.
