What happens if your employer retaliates against you for reporting a workplace injury and seeking workers’ compensation benefits in Minnesota? With the help of an experienced work injury lawyer, you can seek payment of the workers’ comp benefits you deserve and may be able to seek additional compensation from your employer for their illegal retaliatory actions.
What Counts as Employer Retaliation in Minnesota?
While employer retaliation is illegal under state law, that doesn’t always prevent employers from taking steps that negatively impact injured workers who are seeking the benefits they’re entitled to. Retaliation can take several forms. Some of the most common include:
- Terminating the injured employee shortly after they notify their employer of their work injury
- Reducing an injured employee’s hours following a workplace injury report
- Punishing injured workers for reporting workplace accidents by assigning them undesirable tasks
- Refusing to accommodate an injured employee’s medical restrictions
- Intimidating or threatening workers who report injuries
- Harassing employees who were injured on the job and blaming them for their injuries
If you experience any of the above after reporting an injury to your employer, they may be retaliating against you for seeking the compensation you’re owed.
Common Challenges Injured Workers Face
One of the biggest challenges injured workers can face when their employer retaliates against them is proving that their employer’s actions are related to their work injury. If the retaliation begins immediately following your injury report, it can be easier to prove. However, if the retaliation doesn’t begin until later on, it may be more difficult to tie it to your workers’ compensation claim.
Additionally, it could be hard to prove retaliation if your employer never retaliates when coworkers are around or through emails and text messages that leave a digital record. In these cases, your lawyer may have to rely on other types of evidence, such as a pattern of changed behavior toward you following your injury.
Steps To Take if You Suspect Retaliation Following a Workplace Accident
If you suspect your employer is retaliating against you after a workplace accident, taking the following steps can make it easier to recover the workers’ compensation benefits you need and hold your employer responsible for their actions:
- Document everything, including when you reported your injury, when the retaliation began, and the form(s) the retaliation takes.
- Continue with your medical treatment and follow all medical restrictions your doctor imposed upon you.
- Consult an experienced work injury lawyer for legal advice and assistance with your case.
How a Workers’ Compensation Lawyer Can Help
A workers’ compensation lawyer can assist with your case in various ways, including by:
- Gathering evidence to support your workers’ comp claim
- Gathering evidence demonstrating your employer’s retaliation against you
- Filing your workers’ comp claim or retaliation lawsuit
- Negotiating with your employer’s workers’ comp insurance provider for a settlement in your case
- Filing an appeal if the insurer denies your claim, especially if it’s due to meddling from your employer
- Providing general legal advice throughout your case to protect your rights and best interests
Contact Our Minnesota Workers’ Compensation Lawyers
At Meyer, Puklich, & Merriam, P.L.C., our work injury lawyers have over 100 years of combined legal experience. Our goal is to provide the best possible legal representation to injured workers throughout Minnesota, which includes helping workers seek the benefits they are entitled to and protecting them from illegal retaliation.
Contact our law firm today for a free consultation about your case with one of our workers’ compensation attorneys. We’ll explain your rights as an injured worker and walk you through the process of seeking the compensation you need.