There is no such thing as a perfect workers’ compensation case. Injured workers live in the real world, and sometimes things happen or an injured worker makes choices that will negatively impact his or her workers’ compensation case. My job as a workers’ compensation lawyer is to advise you and help guide you through the system, to advocate on your behalf when there are disputes with the workers’ compensation insurance company, to represent you at hearings, or to obtain a fair settlement on your behalf, even if circumstances come up, or you make decisions that negatively impact your case.
That being said, there are some relatively simple things you can do to make it easier for me, as your workers’ compensation lawyer, to represent you to the best of my ability.
- First, if you are unable to return to your date-of-injury employer due to your restrictions, it is absolutely imperative that you conduct job search efforts, and document those search efforts. In order to prove your entitlement to wage loss benefits when you are completely off work, you must have work restrictions, you must not be 90 days post-maximum medical improvement, you must not have exhausted 130 weeks of temporary total disability benefits, and YOU MUST CONDUCT A DILIGENT JOB SEARCH. I see too many clients sink their otherwise good cases by failing to conduct a diligent job search, and/or failing to document that job search. Click this link to download and print job search logs. Turn these in on a regular basis.
- Second, if your Minnesota workers’ compensation claim is denied, or the workers’ compensation insurer has refused to pay for certain medical expenses, and you have been submitting expenses through your personal insurance and paying co-payment expenses, paying for prescriptions, or paying for anything else out of pocket, keep track of those expenses, and keep receipts for everything. Send these to me on a regular basis. This documentation is necessary to prove that you are entitled to reimbursement for your out of pocket expenses.
- Third, keep track of your medical providers. If you have a serious or long-term injury, chances are, you’ve been seen by several different medical providers, including, but not limited to, your primary physician, a specialist, a chiropractor, a physical therapist, a surgeon, and more. Keep a list of the doctors you’ve seen. I do the best I can to make sure I have a complete list of your medical providers, but sometimes folks are seen by upwards of twenty or more different medical providers for a complex or long-term injury. You’re the one who knows best who you’ve treated with. If I don’t have a complete list of your medical providers, I may miss important medical records, or miss bills that need to be paid. Click here to download and print forms to keep track of your medical providers.
If you’ve sustained a Minnesota workers’ compensation injury, unfortunately, it’s easy to step into pitfalls and hurt your case. A workers’ compensation lawyer can help make sure you understand the maze that is the Minnesota workers’ compensation system, and we can help you avoid falling into the traps the insurance company sets for you.
For a free, no-obligation consultation with one of our workers’ compensation lawyers to learn more about your Minnesota workers’ compensation rights, contact Meuser & Associate at 877-746-5680, or
click here to send us an email.
For more information about Minnesota workers' compensation, check out our
Workers' Compensation Frequently Asked Questions section at
MeuserLaw.com.
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