Minnesotans are hard workers. That’s a well-earned reputation developed over a history of more than 150 years. The workers’ compensation systems in place in the state and across the St. Croix in Wisconsin are a testament to that fact. They are founded on the presumption that the value of every worker is such that injuries suffered on the job should not leave a worker destitute and hopeless.
If you are a worker hurt on the job, the laws of the states require that you get the medical care your doctor says you need. They also ensure that you don’t suffer financial instability as a result. However, the structure of the system is one built on business principles. Employers who pay for the coverage tend to hire insurance companies to administer the benefits. Driven to save money, insurers deny claims. That can presents injured workers with emotional challenges on top of the physical.
When you are hurt at work, your focus deserves to be on getting back to a state of health where you can resume your duties. Alternatively, you may find yourself so disabled by an injury that you are unable to perform the work you did before. If you meet the criteria established by Minnesota law, you could be entitled to seek retraining that would set you up for another job. By law, your pay scale would have to be as close as possible to what you were at before your injury.
Many workers in Minnesota and Wisconsin don’t appreciate the scope of benefits the law calls for, may be unaware of what options exist for protecting their rights or what actions to take to do so. With experienced legal counsel available on a contingency fee basis, it’s easy to see that speaking to an attorney about your unique situation makes sense.