When Does A Workplace Injury Entitle You to Workers’ Compensation?
When it comes to injuries on the job, many people automatically think of sudden, traumatic injuries suffered by people in high-risk occupations, such as construction workers, firefighters, police officers and prison guards. In fact, however, almost any line of work puts employees in potentially vulnerable situations possibly resulting in injuries.
With law offices in Edina, Brainerd and St. Cloud, Malone Bailey is an established source of information, advocacy and support for workers injured in workplaces statewide.
How Does Minnesota Law Define Workplace Injuries?
Minnesota’s Department of Labor and Industry defines work-related injuries as “any [conditions that are] caused, aggravated or accelerated by … employment activities.” Repetitive motion injuries (also known as “Gillette injuries”), such as degenerative disks and carpal tunnel syndrome, may develop over months or years on the job. The same is true of occupational diseases such as welder’s lung and mental conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Traumatic injuries that result in loss of limb and death are often associated with blue-collar workers and industrial settings, but serious accidents also happen in office buildings, schools and retail settings. Even a minor fall in an office parking lot resulting in a mild knee injury may mean that a worker needs medical treatment and time off work. People of many occupations with many types of work-related injuries qualify for workers’ compensation benefits.
To play it safe, do not rely solely on information off the internet or instructions from your employer’s human resources (HR) department if you have been injured at work and need benefits. Ask an experienced workers’ compensation attorney for guidance on how to ensure that you receive benefits all that workers’ compensation laws offer you.
Protect Your Right To Workers’ Compensation Benefits After A Workplace Injury
Regardless of your line of work and the type or severity of your injury on the job, take the necessary steps to tap into your rightful workers’ compensation benefits. Report your injury or diagnosis to your employer in a timely manner and get needed medical care immediately with the full support that the workers’ compensation system provides to injured workers.
At Malone Bailey, we represent clients throughout Minnesota. To schedule a free consultation at your convenience, call 952-209-9018 or 320-407-1671 or complete an online inquiry form. Remember, we do not receive any payment unless we recover a settlement for you.