There is a little good news to report on the Minnesota workers’ compensation scene. While suffering an injury on the job is never a good thing, the state legislature has passed a few laws which increase benefits for Minnesota workers injured on or after 10/1/2018.
Temporary Partial Disability benefits (TPD): These are partial wage loss benefits paid to someone injured on the job who is earning less than his or her preinjury wage as a result of the work injury. The maximum number of weekly benefits available has been increased from 225 to 275 weeks.
(For more information about TPD benefits, see this previous blog post: How Long Do Work Comp Wage Loss Benefits Last in Minnesota? )
Permanent Partial Disability (PPD): This is compensation paid to someone who has suffered a ratable, permanent impairment under the workers’ compensation disability schedules. The table used to calculate these benefits has been changed to provide for higher payments.
(For more information about PPD benefits, see this previous blog post: How Much Is a Permanent Partial Disability Rating Worth in a Minnesota Work Comp Claim?)
Permanent Total Disability (PTD) retirement presumption: The presumed retirement (and cessation of benefits) at age 67 has been eliminated and benefits now will cease at age 72. This is for injured workers who have been declared permanently and totally disabled as a result of their injuries.
(For more information about PTD benefits, see this previous blog post: What Is Permanent Total Disability in Minnesota Work Comp? )
While these changes do not dramatically affect claims for Minnesota injured workers, every little bit helps and a person injured on or after October 1 will now be eligible for these additional benefits.
For more information about Minnesota work comp claims and the issues which typically arise, please visit our blog and scroll through the many posts to find information which you might find helpful or informative.
If you have been injured on the job and have questions about your claim or the Minnesota work comp system, please don’t hesitate to give us a call. You can contact us, anytime, with questions about your case or to arrange an absolutely free consultation. It won’t cost you anything and we will always give you our honest assessment about whether you need a lawyer to represent you. If you have questions about how much it costs to hire a lawyer for a Minnesota workers’ compensation case, you can check out this previous post.
Remember, you are dealing with an insurance company which handles hundreds or thousands of claims every day. They have experienced claims adjusters and attorneys managing their files. Even if you don’t need a lawyer at the moment, a little information about the work comp system can make a big difference for you in your dealings with the insurance company. At Bradt Law Offices, we have been providing assistance to injured workers all across northern Minnesota and the Iron Range for more than 35 years.
As always, thank you for visiting our blog and please spread the word that we are a good source of work comp information and assistance for workers injured in northern Minnesota and anywhere on the Iron Range.
