In Minnesota if you sustain an injury on the job and you are unable to perform your work duties or you are terminated from employment due to a work injury, you may be eligible for the services of a QRC, a Qualified Rehabilitation Consultant. Qualified Rehabilitation Consultants are responsible for both vocational services and medical management services. With regard to the medical management, QRCs do things such as attend your medical appointments, prepare various documentation and supply it to the insurer, the other attorneys involved, and the employer. They act as an intermediary between you and your doctors. Additionally, with regard to the vocational services a QRC will help you fill out job logs, help you with your resume, they help you prepare for interviews. Overall, they help you return to what is called suitable gainful employment.

If you are not represented by an attorney, you probably don’t know that you have the right to choose your own Qualified Rehabilitation Consultant. Within the first 60 days of being assigned a QRC, you have the absolute right to switch. After the 60-day period it becomes much more difficult to switch your QRC and various problems can arise if you stay with your insurance company assigned QRC. For example, they might pressure your doctor into lifting your restrictions too early. They might try to minimize your injuries. They might try to send you back to work before you are ready, physically, to return to full duty.

That is why it is important to contact an attorney once you are assigned a QRC. We can help you choose the right QRC that will be an advocate for you. If you have a Minnesota workers’ compensation claim, contact us today at Meuser Law Office, P.A. for a free, no-obligation legal consultation. Our knowledgeable attorneys will help you understand the often confusing workers’ compensation benefit law and ensure you receive the full benefits you are entitled to.

Permanent total disability or “PTD” is a wage loss benefit paid to an injured worker whose injuries are so extensive that he or she is unable to find meaningful gainful employment. A judge at a hearing will determine whether or not an injured worker is permanently totally disabled. Typically, even if an injured worker has admitted extensive injuries, the insurance company will not acknowledge that the injured worker is PTD.

First, in order to qualify for PTD in Minnesota, for injuries occurring on or after October 1, 1995, the injured worker must establish a minimum Permanent Partial Disability or PPD rating. Generally the minimum PPD threshold is 17%, but the court also looks at other factors such as the injured worker’s age and education level. The less formal education an injured worker has received and the older the injured worker is, the lower the PPD rating the injured worker must establish. While certain medical conditions automatically qualify an injured worker for PTD benefits, such as complete loss of sight, loss of both arms, and paralysis. It’s also important to note that if an injured worker’s injury occurred prior to October 1, 1995 he or she may still be entitled to PTD benefit; however, the controlling law is slightly different. In Minnesota work comp the law in effect on the date of the employee’s injury controls the employee’s entitlement to benefits.

The Minnesota workers’ compensation system does not provide for pain and suffering. It does, however, provide for a different type of benefit called permanent partial disability (PPD). Permanent partial disability is the benefit that provides for the loss of use or function of a body part after an injury. PPD is based on a percentage of the whole body and the Minnesota Legislature created the disability schedules, which outline exactly what injury entitles injured workers to what percentage of PPD.
Permanent partial disability is then calculated by multiplying the percentage outlined in the disability schedule by a monetary amount.

By all accounts, the first annual Firefighters for Healing Red Tie Gala was a huge success! More than 400 attendees showed up on Saturday November 7, 2015, at the Exchange Club in the historic Lumber Exchange Building in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, dressed in their finest suit and red tie or beautiful red dress. The event raised more than $100,000 through ticket sales, a silent auction, a live auction, and other donations for burn survivors and their families to aid in their recovery efforts. The evening featured red carpet photos, color guard presentation of the flag and national anthem sung by former NFL player, Esera Tuaolo.