There was a long struggle for labor rights throughout the United States when workers’ compensation payments finally became the norm for injured employees. Prior to that point, workers were often liable for their own medical expenses if they were hurt on the job, and many more hazards existed in the workplace in the 19th and early 20th centuries. If an employer didn’t offer an injured worker benefits, they had to sue to try to get something.
Fortunately, matters have continued to improve. Employers in Minnesota are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance that help them pay injured or sickened employees for their expenses on the road to recovery. The average Minnesota business owner pays $1.06 for every $100 on the payroll in workers’ compensation costs.
A recent change in line with other states have expanded the types of injuries that allow people to claim reimbursement or prepayment of services. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), all too common among first responders and law enforcement officers in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, is now covered by workers’ compensation when it is related to job activity.
Employees hurt on the job have a fallback if their employer failed to maintain workers’ compensation insurance. A special fund is maintained by the Minnesota state government to pay workers who have no workers’ compensation fund (and liable businesses pay the fund back plus a penalty).
A claim for workers’ compensation or a challenge to a rejected claim may be well-managed by an attorney. Legal representation can be very helpful when managing the details of accounting for expenses that require reimbursement or when it’s necessary to prove that an injury or illness is connected to a workplace issue.