Minnesota’s workers’ compensation law allows for remuneration for injured workers based on well-defined guidelines. There’s no way to say exactly how much workers’ comp will pay for your injury in Minnesota. Benefits are dependent upon the pre-injury wage of the worker and the severity of the injury.
The Minneapolis workers’ comp lawyers of Robert Wilson & Associates understand the complexity of the system, and we can help you collect what you deserve.
Wage Loss Benefits
In Minnesota, injured workers are eligible for wage loss benefits if their injury prevents them from working. Three types of wage loss benefits are available:
- Temporary total disability (TTD): These benefits are available when your injury prevents you from working. In most cases, these benefits are capped at 130 weeks. However, the benefits may be terminated when the worker is medically cleared to return to work, or the worker leaves the job for reasons other than his/her injury.
- Temporary partial disability (TPD): If you are released to return to light-duty work that pays less than your pre-injury wage or if you are released to return to part-time work, TPD benefits can help make up the difference between your pre-injury wages and the money you currently make per week.
- Permanent total disability (PTD): If your injury prevents you from ever returning to work in any capacity at all, you can receive PTD benefits
How Does Minnesota Calculate Workers’ Compensation Benefits?
In Minnesota, workers’ compensation benefits are calculated using a very simple formula. In most cases, injured workers will receive two-thirds of their pre-injury average weekly wage as a weekly benefit. For example, a worker whose average weekly wage was $1,200 per week will receive $800 per week.
If a worker’s average weekly wage was irregular — that is, not a set amount each week — the amount will be determined by the average wage accumulated in the 13 weeks prior to the injury. For example, a worker who received $800 for six weeks, and $1000 for seven weeks, made an average of about $907 per week. Two-thirds of $907 is approximately $608 per week.
There are, however, other factors that are considered when determining the value of a workers’ compensation claim.
External Factors That May Influence a Claim
In addition to the wage replacement benefits, injured workers are also entitled to medical expenses for reasonable and necessary medical care required to treat their work-related injuries. The value of a claim will depend upon the extent of any unpaid medical bills.
Some other factors that may influence a workers’ compensation claim include:
- The pre-injury earnings. The greater a worker’s pre-injury average weekly wage, the greater the weekly compensation benefits will be. A worker who earned $1000 per week prior to injury will receive more weekly compensation benefits than a similarly injured worker who earned $500 per week.
- The nature of the injury. A minor injury will result in less compensation than a catastrophic injury or an injury that results in permanent disability. For example, a worker who broke his/her foot while on the job will receive fewer benefits than a worker who broke his/her back on the job and can no longer walk due to his/her injuries.
- The extent of the disability. Similarly, an injury that results in either permanent partial disability (PPD) will result in the injured worker receiving more benefits. PPD can be paid when an injured worker suffers permanent impairment of a body part.
When Can PTD Benefits Be Paid?
An injured worker in Minnesota may qualify for PTD if they are totally incapacitated from working in any job at all. They can also qualify for PTD benefits if:
- The worker lost sight in one or both of his/her eyes.
- The worker no longer has control of his/her mental faculties.
- The worker has lost the use of one or both of his/her arms at the shoulder.
- The worker has lost the use of one or both of his/her legs at a point that’s too high for prosthetic remediation.
- The worker has suffered permanent paralysis.
What Are the Components of a Workers’ Compensation Settlement?
When a worker’s injury has reached Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI), the insurance company will be amenable to entering into settlement negotiations. The settlement will include:
- Any unpaid wage loss benefits
- Any PPD award for which the injured worker is eligible
- Any unpaid medical expenses
A settlement may also include money for vocational rehabilitation or retraining for another job.
Contact Robert Wilson & Associates for Your Minnesota Workers’ Compensation Needs
Robert Wilson & Associates believes that injured workers should not have to figure out how to file a workers’ compensation claim on their own. That’s why we focus on getting you the justice — and the compensation — you deserve while you focus on what matters most: healing. There is never a fee unless we win money for you. Contact us online today or call (612) 334-3444, and let’s discuss your case.