work related injury
The Cities Can and Must Do Better
In the aftermath of George Floyd’s death in May 2020, riots and protests ensued for nearly two weeks in the Twin Cities. The destruction and violence associated with the riots generated international attention that placed Minneapolis front and center of… Read more »
Thinking About Quitting? Think Again.
Injured workers often ask, “If I cannot do my job, because of my work injury, should I just quit?” This is a trick question. Workers’ compensation provides wage-loss benefits for injured workers, who are unable to return to suitable gainful… Read more »
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Police Officers
On January 1, 2019, a new law went into effect that may drastically change the way work-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) claims are handled in Minnesota. For PTSD injuries that occur on or after January 1, 2019, there is a presumption for… Read more »
The Option to Medical Out Instead of Retiring Under PERA
Police officers pay into the Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA). PERA offers a number of benefits to police officers who pay into PERA, one of which is a regular retirement pension. Under PERA once an officer reaches age 55 with at… Read more »
Is an EMT Who Contracts COVID-19 Covered Under Minnesota Workers’ Compensation?
Working as a paramedic, EMT or EMS poses inherent dangers, especially during the Coronavirus pandemic. As part of your duties, you are required to go into homes that are not your own and administer hands-on medical assistance to individuals in need. The… Read more »
Managed Medical Review Organization
As part of the PERA application process, your application gets submitted to Managed Medical Review Organization (MMRO). They are a third-party company that PERA contracts with to review all of your medical records with them. Once they receive your… Read more »
Are Minnesota Nurses Who Contract Coronavirus Eligible for Workers’ Compensation?
As Coronavirus-related restrictions phase-out, more Minnesotans, including a significant number of healthcare workers, including nurses, are contracting Coronavirus (COVID-19). In fact, on May 20, 2020, the Star Tribune reported that “health care workers constitute 1,949 of Minnesota’s 17,029 lab-confirmed cases… Read more »
Independent Medical Examination and the Effect It Can Have on a Work Comp Claim
What is an independent medical examination? An independent medical examination, or IME, is performed by a doctor at the request of an insurance company in a workers’ compensation case. Despite the title this medical examination will not be independent. The exam… Read more »
Minnesota First Responder COVID-19 Workers’ Compensation Presumption Statute – What We Know and What We Don’t
As Minnesota first responders may know, the Minnesota legislature recently passed legislation to create a workers’ compensation statutory presumption for those individuals who contract COVID-19 while performing first responder duties (Minn. Stat. § 176.011). Hopefully, this legislation will serve to provide immediate workers’… Read more »
Minnesota Firefighters and Cancer
In Minnesota there is actually a presumption between firefighters and certain types of cancer based on research that is being done. The authority on this is the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and as we learn more about… Read more »