How Long Does It Typically Take to Receive Benefits After Filing a Workers’ Comp Claim in Minnesota?

There is nothing worse than being injured on the job; except, of course, worrying about how you’re going to cover your healthcare costs and other bills. Workers’ compensation exists to provide a safety net for workers hurt while at work, but how quickly can that safety net start providing the money you need? Read on to find out more about how the system works, the timeline for receiving benefits, and how you can get things moving as quickly as possible from a Minnesota workers’ compensation attorney.

How Long Does It Typically Take to Receive Benefits After Filing a Workers’ Comp Claim in Minnesota?

The answer depends on several factors, including how quickly your employer and their insurance company respond, the nature of your injury, and whether any disputes arise. However, the system is designed with the welfare of workers in mind and does aim to minimize delays.

What Is Workers’ Comp and How Does It Work?

Workers’ compensation is designed to provide benefits to employees who are injured on the job or develop a work-related illness. The first viable workers’ compensation scheme came about in 1908 when the federal government passed an act designed to protect employees engaged in hazardous work, and the first workers’ compensation act in Minnesota was passed just five years later in 1913.

Types of Workers’ Comp Benefits

Workers’ comp is a no-fault system, meaning that as long as the injury occurred within the scope of your employment, you can receive benefits even if the incident was partially your fault. There are different kinds of benefits offered by workers’ comp, and they do not all come at the same time.

Medical Benefits

Medical benefits cover doctor and hospital visits, surgery, prescription medication, physical therapy, and medical devices. There’s no waiting period for this coverage as medical benefits are to be provided right away.

Wage-Loss Benefits

These benefits are based on a percentage of your average weekly wage. They come in several types: Temporary Total Disability (TTD) for workers completely unable to work, Temporary Partial Disability (TPD) for workers returning to work at reduced wages, and Permanent Partial Disability (PPD) for those whose injury results in permanent impairment.

Vocational Rehabilitation

This covers any services that you need to help you return to suitable employment, which may include retraining or occupational health input. Not everyone will need vocational rehabilitation after a workplace injury, but it will be provided to you if you need it.

Death Benefits

If you die as a result of a work-related injury, your surviving dependents will be eligible for death benefits. These will include a sum for funeral and burial costs, and ongoing dependency payments to your spouse, minor children, disabled adult children, and potentially any others who are financially dependent on you. In some cases, your children may also be able to apply for an education benefit sum to assist with the cost of higher education.

Timeline

There are certain steps that must take place for you to begin claiming workers’ comp wage-loss benefits.

Step 1: You Report Your Injury

Timeframe: Immediately or Within 14 Days

Under Minnesota law, you must report your injury to your employer as soon as possible. Ideally, this should be done immediately after the injury occurs, but you legally have up to 14 days to report your injury to preserve your right to benefits. If you do not report your injury within 30 days, you could jeopardize your claim unless you can show a good reason for the delay.

We would recommend that you report your injury as soon as it happens, as this means that you can get the ball rolling on your workers’ comp claim more quickly. Though it is legally acceptable to inform your employer verbally, we would recommend that you also inform them in writing, as this creates a written record of the precise time that you first reported your injury. You should include details of the incident, including the time, date, and location.

Step 2: Your Employer Files the First Report of Injury

Timeframe: Within 10 Days of Your Notification

Once you notify your employer, they are required to file a First Report of Injury (FROI) with their workers’ compensation insurance carrier within 10 days of your report. If you miss work for more than three calendar days due to your injury, the employer must also report it to the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI).

You cannot make your employer file at any particular time within that 10 days, but you can follow up with them after your first report to check whether or not the FROI has been filed.

Step 3: The Insurer Investigates and Accepts or Denies the Claim

Timeframe: Within 14 Days of Receiving the FROI

The insurer has 14 days from when they receive notice of your injury to either accept or deny your claim for wage-loss benefits. If they deny your claim, they must provide a written explanation. If they accept the claim, they must begin paying wage-loss benefits promptly. Medical treatment is different and may be authorized even before the insurer officially accepts or denies your claim, especially in emergency situations.

Step 4: You Begin Receiving Benefits

Timeframe: Typically Within 14–21 Days of Your First Report

Though technically your employer and their insurer have 24 days between them to fulfil their legal requirements, the system usually works more quickly than that. If your claim is accepted, and you are eligible for wage-loss benefits, you should begin receiving payments within 14 to 21 days from the date you reported the injury. Payments are usually issued on a bi-weekly basis.

Minnesota workers’ compensation law requires insurers to pay temporary total disability (TTD) benefits beginning after a three-calendar-day waiting period. However, if you are unable to work for 10 days or more, the waiting period is waived, and you are paid retroactively for those first three days.

Why You Should Consult a Workers’ Compensation Attorney

Although Minnesota’s workers’ compensation system is meant to be accessible, there can still be complicated parts or times when you may want to consult someone with more experience in this area of the law. A workers’ comp lawyer can make sure that:

• You have submitted all forms accurately and on time
• You have all the medical evidence necessary to support your claim
• You are properly represented in any disputes with the insurer
• You are properly represented if an appeals hearing is necessary
• You receive the correct type and amount of benefits
• You are not pressured to return to work before you are ready
• Your rights are protected throughout the process

The workers’ comp system is designed to benefit workers, and if you’ve been injured during the course of your work, you deserve those benefits. In Minnesota, most injured workers can expect to receive their first workers’ compensation benefits within two to three weeks of reporting their injury if the claim is straightforward and uncontested. If your claim has been delayed, denied, or you just want to make sure that you have all your ducks in a row, get in touch with our team at Atkinson Gerber, Workers’ Compensation Attorneys, at one of our locations in St Paul, MN, and Minneapolis, MN.