St. Paul Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
- What is workers’ compensation?
- Do I qualify for workers’ compensation in St. Paul, Minnesota?
- Why should I hire a St. Paul personal injury lawyer if I am seeking workers’ compensation benefits?
- What Benefits are available in Minnesota workers’ compensation cases?
- Can I sue my employer if I get workers’ comp?
- Does St. Paul, Minnesota, have a time limit for filing workers’ compensation claims?
- We Help Seek Workers’ Comp Benefits for All Your Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses
- Trusted St. Paul Workers’ Compensation Lawyers You Can Count On
You may qualify for benefits under your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance policy if you have been hurt on the job in St. Paul, Minnesota. Our experienced St. Paul workers’ compensation lawyers can help you navigate the process and seek full compensation for your injuries, lost wages, and rehabilitation.
Since 1963, Milavetz Law, P.A., has been a leading advocate for injured workers and grieving families in St. Paul and across the state of Minnesota. We understand how devastating a work-related injury can be, and we fight tirelessly to help our clients achieve the best results in their workers’ compensation disputes. Our top-rated attorneys have won tens of millions of dollars in benefits, settlements, and verdicts in the process.
Contact our law office in St. Paul, Minnesota, to learn more about your legal rights and how we can help you assert them.
What is workers’ compensation?
Workers’ compensation is a no-fault insurance system that helps workers recover benefits when they suffer job-related injuries or are diagnosed with an occupational disease.
Since workers’ compensation is a no-fault system, benefits are usually guaranteed regardless of who is responsible for causing a workplace accident or injury. In exchange for these no-fault benefits, workers waive the right to sue their employers for job-related injuries.
Do I qualify for workers’ compensation in St. Paul, Minnesota?
Under Minnesota’s workers’ compensation law, all employers in the state are required to purchase workers’ compensation insurance coverage. So, you should qualify for workers’ compensation benefits if you:
- Work in the state of Minnesota
- Are classified as an employee (not an independent contractor)
- Suffer a work-related injury or are diagnosed with a job-related illness or disease
A job-related injury is defined as “any condition that is caused, aggravated, or accelerated by employment activities.” So, you don’t necessarily have to be injured at your place of employment to qualify for workers’ compensation. You could be in a work-related car accident or truck accident in St. Paul and still qualify for benefits.
Why should I hire a St. Paul personal injury lawyer if I am seeking workers’ compensation benefits?
While you may qualify for benefits and have the legal right to recover money for your work-related injuries, getting compensation may not be easy. Your employer won’t want their premiums to go up, and insurance companies are more focused on profits than your rights. Their teams of attorneys and adjusters will work to deny your claim or limit your payout.
Hiring an experienced St. Paul personal injury lawyer at Milavetz Law, P.A., can put you on level ground. You will show the insurance company that you are serious about getting the benefits you are owed and that your claim is valued correctly.
Our legal team has decades of experience handling complex workers’ compensation claims like yours. We have gone head-to-head with the toughest insurance companies in Minnesota and won time and again for our clients.
You can focus your energy on getting back on your feet while we:
- Investigate the circumstances of your workplace accident, injury, or illness
- Gather evidence to prove your injury is work-related and support your claim for benefits
- Determine if you may have the right to pursue additional compensation from a negligent or liable third party
- Ensure filing deadlines and other important aspects of the workers’ compensation claims process are satisfied
- Consult with experts regarding the scope and impact of your injuries to ensure your claim is valued properly
- Negotiate with your employer’s insurance company on your behalf
- Appeal a denied claim for benefits and represent you in any workers’ compensation hearings
When you choose our St. Paul law firm to handle your workers’ compensation case, you do not have to worry about upfront costs or fees. We work on contingency — meaning you don’t pay unless we win your case. Contact our law office in St. Paul, Minnesota to learn more. Your first consultation is free.
What Benefits are available in Minnesota workers’ compensation cases?
Three different types of benefits can be awarded in a Minnesota workers’ compensation claim: medical expenses, lost wages, and rehabilitation.
Medical Expenses
Your employer (through their workers’ compensation insurance company) will cover necessary and reasonable costs for medical treatment.
This can include bills for hospitalization, surgery, or treatment by a primary care physician, chiropractor, psychiatrist, or other practitioners.
You typically won’t have the option of choosing your doctor. For your medical treatment to be covered, you will have to seek treatment from a preapproved provider chosen by your employer and their insurer.
Lost Wages
Several types of lost wage benefits can be awarded to injured workers in St. Paul, Minnesota:
- Temporary total disability (TTD): If you are totally disabled and unable to work you can recover two-thirds of your average weekly wage in the 26 weeks before you got hurt.
- Temporary partial disability (TPD): If you can work but only in a limited capacity, you can recover two-thirds of the difference between what you earned before your accident and what you earn now.
- Permanent partial disability (PPD): If you lose the permanent use of a body part.
How much you can recover in lost wages is limited. The average weekly wage is capped by state law. Currently, the limit is $1,232. For all injuries sustained on or after October 1, 2022, the limit will be $1,287.
Rehabilitation Benefits
If your injuries are severe or impair your ability to do your job without accommodation, you may also qualify for retraining or vocational rehabilitation benefits.
Death Benefits
If you lose a family member in a fatal workplace accident in St. Paul, your family may qualify for death benefits under the workers’ compensation policy of the deceased member’s employer. These benefits can offset future lost wages and cover the costs of a funeral.
Our dedicated Minnesota workers’ compensation lawyers in St. Paul will help you pursue all the benefits owed under state law.
Can I sue my employer if I get workers’ comp?
You typically give up the right to file a lawsuit against your employer under the Minnesota workers’ compensation system. At times, a lawsuit may be appropriate, such as in cases involving intentional misconduct or blatant violations of state or federal safety laws.
However, you do not waive the right to file a lawsuit against other responsible parties. You may have a legitimate third-party claim against anyone who was negligent or can be held strictly liable for your injuries under the law, including:
- Property owners
- Contractors
- Architects
- Engineers
- Motorists if you are involved in a job-related auto accident
- Product manufacturers
- Government agencies
By filing a third-party claim, you can potentially recover compensation above and beyond what workers’ compensation will cover. This can include damages for lost wages, reduced earning capacity, pain and suffering, disfigurement, and emotional distress.
Our St. Paul workers’ compensation attorneys will help you seek all compensation available to you.
Does St. Paul, Minnesota, have a time limit for filing workers’ compensation claims?
Yes, you must report your injury to your employer as soon as possible. Once you do, you will have three years from the date of your injury or diagnosis to file a formal claim to receive workers’ compensation benefits. Once the deadline passes, so does your right and opportunity to secure the money you need and deserve.
Statutes of limitations can be complex, and some exceptions exist, so be sure to ask an attorney who is licensed in Minnesota to confirm your eligibility to file a claim.
We Help Seek Workers’ Comp Benefits for All Your Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses
As long as your injury or illness is related to work, you can potentially recover benefits through your employer’s insurance policy.
Milavetz Law, P.A., represents clients in workers’ compensation claims who have suffered:
- A broken bone
- Soft tissue injury
- Repetitive motion injury
- Burn injury
- Nerve damage
- Traumatic brain injury
- Spinal cord injury
- Cancer, respiratory illness, and other occupational diseases
- Crush injury
- Chest injury
- Vision loss
- Hearing loss and tinnitus
- Partial or complete amputation
- Degloving injury
- Another catastrophic injury
- Wrongful death of a loved one in a fatal St. Paul workplace accident
Don’t hesitate to contact our team to discuss your legal options for financial recovery if you have been hurt while working in St. Paul, Minnesota. We can offer guidance about the workers’ compensation claims process and help you seek maximum benefits for your injuries.
Trusted St. Paul Workers’ Compensation Lawyers You Can Count On
Whether you have been injured in a nursing unit, on a St. Paul construction site, or in another work-related accident in St. Paul, Milavetz Law, P.A., can help you claim benefits from your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance carrier or file a lawsuit against a negligent party.
Our St. Paul workers’ compensation lawyers have decades of experience and are ready to help you demand accountability from those responsible. We offer a free, no-obligation case evaluation, so contact us in St. Paul, Minnesota, today.
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