Following a work injury, it is of utmost importance that you seek medical treatment. In a typical Minnesota workers' compensation case, an employee will go to the emergency room or urgent care for an evaluation and will be given work restrictions at that time. Work restrictions can be as restrictive as "no work at all" until an employee can be evaluated by a specialist or have an MRI completed. Work restrictions may also be as simple as "no lifting more than 50 pounds." Once you receive work restrictions, you must provide documentation of these restrictions to your human resources department or supervisor immediately.
When you see your doctor following a work injury, it is very important that you inform your doctor that you sustained an injury at work and how the injury occurred. Tell the truth and be consistent with what you tell your doctors. If you are inconsistent in your narrative of how the injury occurred, the workers' compensation insurer may try to deny the claim on this basis.
At some point, your treating physicians may determine that you can return back to full-duty work and release you back to work without formal physical restrictions. Your doctor may think that he's doing you a favor in allowing you to return to work; however, unless your injury was mild or temporary in nature, your treating physician releasing you to return to work without restrictions can be problematic for your workers' compensation claim, in addition to your overall physical well-being.
What are my employer's responsibilities?
When you have restrictions relating to your work injury, your doctor will document the work injury and provide you with restrictions. An employer cannot fire you for having work restrictions and they cannot force you to work outside the scope of your physical restrictions. You may feel pressured by the employer to ask your doctor to lift your physical restrictions, but this could make the injury worse or cause re-injury. In addition, as a practical matter, returning to work without restrictions (even though you remain injured) puts you in a vulnerable position because if you are fired for being unable to perform your job, you will not be entitled to ongoing wage loss benefits. You need physical restrictions to receive wage loss benefits under the Minnesota Worker's Compensation Act.
If you've sustained a work-related injury and have work restrictions, an employer must either accommodate your restrictions in your current position, find a light duty position within your physical restrictions, or provide vocational rehabilitation and training if you are unable to work in your previous position.
Do I have to accept a light duty job?
When you have been injured at work and are unable to perform all the duties of your position, employers will often offer you light duty work. To be acceptable, this work must be within the physical restrictions issued to you by your doctor. If the light duty position pays less, or provides you with fewer hours, you will be entitled to a wage loss benefit known as temporary partial disability (TPD). The purpose of temporary partial disability is to return you to the economic status that you enjoyed before sustaining an injury on the job, and as such, it pays you the difference between what you were making at the time of the injury and what you are making in the light duty position.
Every light duty job is different. It is very important that you do not turn down or refuse a light duty job offer until you speak with an attorney. An experienced attorney will be able to analyze the job offer and determine whether it is physically and economically suitable. If it is, your safest course of action would be to accept the light duty position. If you do not, you run the risk of the workers' compensation insurer terminating your ongoing wage loss benefits.
Don't wait to get an attorney involved if you have a Minnesota workers' compensation claim. The process can be complex and you want to be sure you receive the full benefits to which you are entitled. Contact Meuser Law Office, P.A. for a free no-obligation consultation and claim evaluation. At Meuser Law Office, P.A. we keep our clients informed of the process as well as what to expect each step of the way. Call us today at 1-877-746-5680.
by Ashley BiermannMore posts by Ashley
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