Minnesota workers’ compensation attorneys serving the injured and disabled throughout Minnesota with offices in St. Cloud, Edina and Brainerd.

Minnesota Workers’ Compensation Attorneys

What is the waiting period for workers’ compensation benefits?

On Behalf of | Jan 17, 2023 | Workers' Compensation

If you suffer an injury on the job, you will usually be able to collect benefits from workers’ compensation. Medical benefits will typically begin immediately.

But the same is not true for lost wage benefits. There is a waiting period for payments from workers’ compensation.

Three-day wait

The basic requirement is that you must wait until you are off work for three days before you can begin to receive payments for lost wages. If you remain out of work for at least 10 days, you get paid for those first three days.

Notes about the waiting period

The three days must be in a row, but they do not have to be work days. You only need to be unable to work for three calendar ways in a row. The clock begins the moment you suffer the injury and that day counts as day one even if you were at work most of the day and receive payment from your employer for the day. Your payments begin on the fourth day you miss.

Medical benefits

The waiting period does not apply to medical benefits. These begin from day one. You should inculcate all care is for a work injury so that providers will properly bill workers’ compensation and not you. If you receive a bill, you should send it to workers’ compensation.

Keep in mind that the waiting period requires you to miss work. If you return to work on either day two or three, you will not get any lost wage payments. Also, if you only miss up to 10 days, you will not receive payment for the first three days you missed.

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