Workers who sustain injuries on the job may qualify for workers’ compensation benefits, which can provide financial assistance to help them recover from an occupational injury. But workers’ compensation does not always offer indefinite benefits. How long can an injured employee stay on workers’ comp in Minnesota?
Types of Workers’ Compensation Benefits in Minnesota
In Minnesota, workers’ compensation benefits fall into three major categories:
- Medical Benefits – These benefits cover the cost of all reasonable and necessary medical treatment and rehabilitation for an occupational injury or illness, including treatment for pain management. Medical benefits can last as long as needed until a worker reaches maximum medical improvement and no longer requires treatment.
- Wage-Loss Benefits – Wage-loss benefits partially compensate workers for the loss of income experienced when they cannot work or earn as much as they did before a workplace accident due to disabilities or impairments caused by their injuries. The duration of wage-loss benefits depends on the specific type of benefit.
- Vocational Rehabilitation – This benefit provides access to services that help workers with disabilities return to suitable alternative employment. Vocational rehabilitation can last as long as necessary to help an injured worker return to the workforce.
Duration of Wage-Loss Benefits
The duration of wage-loss benefits in Minnesota can vary based on the type of benefit: temporary total disability (TTD), temporary partial disability (TPD), permanent total disability (PTD), and permanent partial disability (PPD). Timelines for wage-loss benefits include:
- Temporary Total Disability Benefits – These benefits are paid when a worker cannot work while treating or rehabilitating their injury. They last up to 130 weeks, unless the worker receives approval for retraining services.
- Temporary Partial Disability Benefits – These are paid when a worker returns to work while undergoing treatment or rehabilitation but earns less than they did pre-injury due to hour or duty restrictions. Benefits last up to 275 weeks or until 450 weeks after the date of injury, whichever occurs first, unless the worker receives approval for retraining services.
- Permanent Total Disability Benefits – Paid when a worker becomes permanently disabled from gainful employment, these benefits can last until the worker recovers enough to return to employment or reaches full retirement age, whichever occurs first.
Permanent Partial Disability Benefits
A worker may receive permanent partial disability benefits to compensate for a permanent disability that does not preclude the worker from returning to employment. PPD benefits begin when a worker’s physician determines that they have reached maximum medical improvement – the point at which no further treatment is likely to improve the worker’s condition. A worker may receive PPD benefits as a lump sum payment or structured payments, the duration of which will depend on the nature and severity of the worker’s disability.
What to Do When Your Benefits Come to an End
When your workers’ compensation benefits end, your legal options can depend on the benefits you’ve received. For example, suppose your temporary total disability benefits come to an end. In that case, you might try returning to work to obtain temporary partial disability benefits or pursue permanent disability benefits if your injury has reached maximum medical improvement. However, if your employer tries to end medical or vocational rehabilitation benefits before you have fully recovered from your injury or become ready to reenter the workforce, you can file a claim petition with the Minnesota Workers’ Compensation Division to contest the end of your benefits.
Contact a Workers’ Comp Attorney Today
If you suffered an occupational injury or illness and filed a claim for workers’ comp benefits, you may wonder about how long those benefits can last. Contact Meyer, Puklich, & Merriam today for a free, no-obligation consultation with a workers’ compensation lawyer to learn more about the duration of benefits after a workplace injury in Minnesota.