MN Workers’ Compensation Benefits Guide for Injured Workers

Have a work-related injury or illness from your job in the Land of 10,000 Lakes? Then you may wonder if you’ll qualify for MN workers’ compensation benefits from your employer. While Minnesota state law requires essentially all employers to carry workers’ comp insurance, not all employees have coverage.

Keep reading to learn how to apply for benefits, what they cover, which doctor to see and more helpful info below.

Minnesota Workers’ Compensation Benefits Guide: Key Takeaways

• Minnesota’s workers’ compensation system provides benefits to eligible employees who get sick or injured at work.
• All injuries must happen in the course and scope of your employment to qualify for MN workers’ compensation benefits.
• The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry administers the program, but benefit payments come from the employer’s insurer.
• All Minnesota employers with at least one employee must have workers’ comp insurance. However, certain types of workers are exempt from this coverage rule.
• Unless you see a doctor for treatment after your accident for a physical injury, you likely won’t qualify for benefits.
• If you’re denied workers’ compensation or your employer refuses to report your injury, consult a workers’ comp lawyer for free. Not sure where to find one who can talk to you right away? We can connect you with one for a free, no-obligation consultation.

Do All Minnesota Businesses Have Workers’ Comp Coverage for Employees?

Minnesota law requires essentially every business owner in this state to carry workers’ compensation insurance. That means with few exceptions, most employees are covered starting on day one of their employment. Minnesota state law mandates this coverage for both part-time and full-time workers, even if you only hire one person.

However, some types of employees are automatically exempt from coverage under MN workers’ compensation system.

Employees Automatically Exempt from Filing Claims Under Minnesota Workers’ Compensation Law

Under Minnesota state law, the following types of employees are automatically excluded from any workers’ compensation coverage requirements:

• Casual employees (i.e., seasonal or temporary workers)
• Domestic workers paid less than $1,000 in any three-month period per calendar year
• Farm workers as well as any family members they employ
• Federal employees
• Independent contractors
• Limited liability company (LLC) officers and business partners
• Seasonal or temporary agricultural industry workers
• Sole proprietors and and family members who work for them

How to File Workers’ Comp Insurance Claims to Receive Benefits in MN

Follow the steps below to file Minnesota workers’ compensation claims for occupational illnesses or on-the-job injuries:

1. If you need emergency medical treatment, go to the nearest hospital or urgent care clinic immediately.

Be sure to tell the doctor you see:

• You believe that your injury or illness is work-related,
• How it happened, where, and when,
• That you plan to apply for workers’ compensation, and
• Your employer’s name, phone number and the name of your manager, along with the employer’s insurance carrier, if possible

2. You must also report your work injury or illness to your supervisor or HR department within 14 days. And if you don’t need urgent medical care, report it before you see a doctor.

Why do we suggest this? Because if your employer uses a managed care network, you may need to see a pre-approved provider. Otherwise, you could get stuck paying those medical costs out of your own pocket.

Important: State law says you could lose your right to MN workers’ compensation benefits if you don’t notify your employer within 180 days.

3. Your employer then reports it to their insurance company within 10 days using a First Report of Injury (FROI) form.

If you don’t need any time off work but the insurer accepts your claim, at this point, you’re eligible for medical benefits.

4. Once the required three-day waiting period ends, if you still can’t go back to work, you’ll qualify for wage-loss benefits.

Your first three days of missed work due to your accident are usually unpaid time off. However, once your miss two weeks or longer, Minnesota workers’ compensation pays for those three missed shifts.

The amount and time you can receive these wage-loss benefits depends on the severity and extent of your limitations.

Important: The statute of limitations in MN is three years for workers’ comp claims.

5. If the insurance company denies you workers’ comp, contact your claims adjuster to discuss it.

In the event that you cannot resolve the dispute over the phone, then you can request mediation services from the Minnesota DLI. Not happy with mediation as an appeal option? You can file an Employee’s Claim Petition form directly with the DLI to request an appeals hearing instead.

Pro Tip: Union workers and construction industry laborers may need to follow a different dispute resolution process. Contact your union rep before taking any steps listed above to appeal a denied workers’ compensation claim.

What Types of MN Workers’ Compensation Benefits Are Available to Injured Workers?

In general, employees with eligible work injuries can qualify for different types of workers’ compensation benefits that cover:

• Medical costs
• Lost wages if their work injuries require time off to recover under a doctor’s orders
• Death benefits for certain surviving family members of deceased workers

How long each type of payment lasts depends on the severity and nature of your work-related injury or illness.

Medical Treatment Benefits

If the insurer approves your workers’ comp benefits claim, the first thing most people qualify for are medical benefits. These benefits cover all medical expenses associated with your work-related injury or occupational illness, including:

• Doctor’s visits
• Scans (i.e., x-rays, MRIs, CT scans, etc.)
• Hospital bills
• Surgery costs
• Physical therapy
• Prescription medications needed to manage your symptoms, like pain and swelling
• Travel expenses required to receive necessary medical treatment (such as toll fees, mileage reimbursement, etc.)

Wage-Loss Benefits

If you’re temporarily unable to work after a job-related accident, you may qualify for wage-loss benefits. Workers’ comp in Minnesota pays two-thirds of your gross average weekly wage (AWW) once you pass the three day required waiting period. That means your first three days off are always unpaid until after your doctor orders you off work for more than two weeks total.

Once that waiting period ends, you can receive the following benefits to help cover your lost wages:

Temporary Total Disability Benefits (TTD)

If you cannot work at all following your workplace accident, you may qualify for temporary total disability benefits. Your employer’s insurer will continue paying TTD benefits until you can return to work in any capacity. Injured workers can receive TTD payments for no more than 130 weeks total.

After six months, many insurance company agents will request a Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE). This may determine whether you’ve reached Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI).

Temporary Partial Disability Benefits (TPD)

If you can return to work but only part-time or on light duty, then you may be eligible for temporary partial disability (TPD) payments. These equal two-thirds of the difference between what you made before your work accident and what you earn now.

According to Minnesota Rules part 5220.2540, you can receive TPD benefits on your usual work paycheck schedule. So if you get paid twice a month or every week, that’s also how you’ll receive your TPD benefit checks.

You can receive TPD benefits for up to 275 weeks total. However, these payments automatically stop 450 weeks after your work injury report date.

Permanent Partial Disability Benefits (PPD)

Once TTD payments end or doctor says you reached Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI), you may qualify for PPD benefits. Workers’ compensation doctors calculate your PPD amount based on the percentage of loss relative to your entire body. So, your whole body equals 100%, for example.

You can see the current PPD benefit pay bands by percentage listed in Minnesota Statute 176.101. The state reviews these pay amounts in even-numbered years to ensure they are fair and keep up with current inflation.

Permanent Total Disability Benefits (PTD)

If your injury or illness stops you from working again for the rest of your life, you may qualify for PTD benefits. These payments are the same amount as TTD benefits, but begin only after your TTD income ends. Here’s how that works:

• You get PTD benefits at the same time every month you would normally receive your old work paycheck.
• Once your employer’s insurer pays you at least $25,000, if you get any other disability or retirement benefits, they’ll reduce your PTD benefits by that same amount. This can happen if you start drawing Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or regular retirement payments.
• All PTD benefits from a Minnesota workers’ compensation policy automatically end when you turn 72 years old. The only exception to this rule is if your work injury initially happens after you’re 67 years old.

Death Benefits

If a worker dies on the job or from a workplace injury, then surviving spouse may apply for workers’ comp death benefits. Death benefits in Minnesota typically include:

• $15,000 in a lump sum payment to cover burial and funeral costs
• Weekly TTD benefits for the surviving spouse for no more than 130 weeks, which may be paid in a lump sum or installments

Dependent children may also be eligible for death benefits until they turn 18 years old.

LegalASAP Can Connect You with a MN Workers’ Compensation Attorney for Free

If you already applied for workers’ comp in Minnesota but failed to get benefits, we want to help. Let us connect you with an attorney who understands the workers’ comp laws in MN and offers free consultations to potential new clients.

Our attorney network includes hundreds of law firms located across the United States, ready to protect your rights.

Our professionals mostly work under contingency, including workers’ comp lawyers we partner with in MN. Unless you win a cash settlement, you pay nothing in legal fees.

Ready to see if you may qualify? Click below to start your free online workers’ compensation case evaluation now: