Posts Categorized: Work Injury

Does My Employer Get to Choose My Workplace Injury Doctor?

If you have had a workplace injury and your employer sent you to a doctor they chose, it is important that you act quickly to obtain a doctor who is on your side. Your doctor and his or her diagnosis lays the foundation for your workers’ compensation claim. This means that having the right doctor… Read more »

Retaliation For Filing For Workers’ Compensation

Kaarin S. Nelson is an attorney at Halunen & Associates. She represents employees facing workers’ compensation retaliation and other employment related issues. Below, she discusses how employees can face scrutiny after filing a claim. You’re a good employee and you work hard at your job. You go in everyday and tuck yourself under a customer’s… Read more »

What is a First Report of Injury (FROI)?

A First Report of Injury (FROI) is the initial accident report you fill out with your employer following a work injury. Your employer should then submit this form to their insurance company and the State of Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry. It is important that this form be filled out to document that the… Read more »

What is an Independent Medical Examination? Do I have to attend?

The first thing you should know is that the doctor performing the exam is paid by the insurance company. This means that the insurance company and the employer are looking for reasons to discontinue your workers’ compensation benefits in whole or part. There is no doctor-patient relationship established, which means nothing is confidential. The sole… Read more »

Can I Be Fired If I Miss Too Much Time With a Work Injury?

Carl Crosby Lehmann posted the following Q&A on BusinessManagementDaily.com. Workers’ Compensation Attorney Mike Lammers builds upon Mr. Lehmann’s answer by sharing his own insights into Minnesota workers’ compensation law. Q. We have an employee who has been out with a work-related back injury for more than six months. We have not received any indication from… Read more »

Temporary Workers in Minnesota at Greater Risk For Injury

Temporary workers in Minnesota are at a much higher risk for injury than permanent workers, according to a study of more than 3.5 million injury claims. The multi-state study conducted by ProPublica sought to better understand how temporary worker injuries compared to those of permanent workers in respect to incident type, rate and severity. The… Read more »

Fall Injuries On The Rise In Minnesota

The Minnesota Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently announced that serious injuries from falls have risen in the past few years, and the number of citations issued to companies who fail to protect workers has more than doubled since 2011. Although deaths from workplace falls have remained constant over the last five years, MNOSHA said… Read more »

Why Employees Don’t Report Injuries Right Away

Workers’ Compensation is a great system that provides benefits and payments to workers who become injured while on the job. Unfortunately, some workers fail to report their injuries because they don’t want to miss work, they fear there will be repercussions, or for other related reasons. Not only are employees putting themselves at risk for… Read more »

August is the Most Dangerous Month for Workers, Drivers

If the recent heat wave in Minnesota wasn’t enough, it turns out August it actually the most dangerous month for workers and commuters. Analysts concluded that August was the most dangerous month for workers by reviewing Travelers’ insurance claim data from the pasty two years. Although the data was limited to claims filed in Texas,… Read more »

The Most Dangerous Jobs, in the Most Dangerous States

The study conducted by a Social Security Disability Insurance company found that Maine is the most dangerous state to work in, while New York registered as the safest state. For the study, researchers examined work accidents and injury data provided by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. In order to determine which… Read more »

Poor Sleep Habits Linked to Work-Related Accidents

You’ve probably heard that insufficient sleep has been linked to many physical ailments, such as obesity or diabetes, but did you know poor sleep has been shown to increase your likelihood of suffering an injury at work? According to a new study published on WebMD, researchers pooled data from 27 separate studies that included over… Read more »

The 10 Most Common Workplace Injuries

On-the-job injuries happen in a variety of different ways, but some are more common than others.  Below, we examined the ten most common injuries that lead to a workers’ compensation claim. Assaults and Violent Acts – Coming in at #10 are assaults and violent acts.  This may be more common among police officers in law… Read more »

Wisconsin Police Officer Injured Doing Pushups Wins Work Comp Claim

A police sergeant in Appleton, Wisconsin won a four-year legal battle that began in 2008 when he tore his rotator cuff while doing pushups in his basement. Mike Nofzinger’s legal battle began shortly after he attempted his 12th pushup on his carpeted basement floor.  Nofzinger was preparing for a police fitness test that rewards officers… Read more »

The 10 Most Dangerous Jobs in America

Workers’ compensation payments cost companies nearly $100 billion in 2011, but there are some industries that are inherently more dangerous than others.  Employees who work with heavy equipment or are tasked with intense manual labor often suffer workplace injuries, but which industry is the most dangerous?  Below we look at the 10 most dangerous jobs… Read more »

Can I Sue my Employer After Sustaining a Workplace Injury?

The short answer to the question “can I sue my employer” is no. In Minnesota, if a person is injured on the job, their exclusive remedy is the workers compensation system. In other words, you can file a work comp claim, but you cannot bring a civil suit against your employer for any negligence on… Read more »

Traffic Accidents Leading Cause of High-Severity Work Comp Injuries

In their latest report, the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) found that traffic accidents are the leading cause of high-severity workers’ compensation injuries. The NCCI’s original report from 2006 was updated this month to reflect more current information, and the report revealed some interesting trends. Key findings The frequency of motor vehicle fatalities and… Read more »

Does Work Comp Cover Injuries Sustained at a Holiday Work Party?

Many companies host holiday parties for their employees during this time of year.  Whether the party is held at an outdoor skating rink or at an upscale hotel conference room, employees are susceptible to injury.  It is important to understand your workers’ compensation rights if you are injured at a work-related holiday event. Am I… Read more »

Stripper Denied Work Comp after Being Shot on the Job

LeAndra Lewis, an exotic dancer from South Carolina, has been denied work comp benefits after she was hit by a stray bullet while dancing on the job. The incident occurred back in 2008, when Lewis was dancing at Studio 54. A gunfight broke out in the club and Lewis caught some of the stray gunfire,… Read more »

Should Cops who Kill in the Line of Duty Receive Work Comp?

The South Carolina Supreme Court recently ruled that police officers who kill suspects in the line of duty are not eligible for workers’ compensation. The Court ruled 3-2 that current work comp laws do not cover cops who use deadly force in the line of duty, because that is part of their job description. Officers… Read more »

More Minnesota Work Comp FAQs

Minnesota work compensation laws are complicated. Here are a few frequently asked questions about work comp in Minnesota. Q. What are some common complications in a work comp claim? A. Many injured workers who don’t consult a MN workers’ comp attorney are denied benefits simply because they fail to file the correct paperwork. Others are denied because… Read more »

4 Common Work Comp Repetitive Stress Injuries

Sometimes workplace injuries do not stem from a specific incident, but rather develop over time. These injuries are known as Repetitive Stress Injuries (or RSIs). They can develop over several years at a desk job or a job that involves manual labor. Here are 4 of the most common workplace repetitive stress injuries: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. A painful… Read more »

4 Tips for Filing a Minnesota Work Comp Claim

The Minnesota workers’ compensation system is quite complex, and requires a lot of paperwork from both the employer and employee. Here are a few quick tips to get you through the process: Keep your employer informed about your condition at all timesKeep receipts for anything you pay for out of your own pocket (i.e. prescriptions). Even better,… Read more »

5 Common Acute Workplace Injuries

If you are injured at work in Minnesota you are legally entitled to certain benefits. The most common work injuries are acute, often resulting from accidents or acts of exertion. Here are 5 of the most common acute work-related injuries. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome–This is a very common injury in office jobs. Carpal Tunnel results from repetitive hand… Read more »

Australian Woman Receives Work Comp for Work Trip Sex Injury

Recently, Australian courts were asked to decide whether an individual who was injured while having sex during a work trip could be eligible for Workers’ Comp benefits. In this case, a public servant was injured while having sex in a hotel room on a work trip. The higher court in Australia recently determined that the… Read more »

Protections for Injured Workers in Minnesota

Getting injured at work can be hard enough by itself. But when your employer takes improper actions against you following a work injury, it can be downright unbearable. Thankfully, Minnesotans have legal protections against improper employer actions. In this article, we’ll discuss just a few statutes that protect injured workers in Minnesota. The Minnesota Workers’ Compensation Act makes it illegal… Read more »

4 Things to Remember if You Suffer a Work Injury

If you are one of the unfortunate individuals that suffer an injury at work, the following are some good reminders: Report your work injury immediately. If you suffer a work injury, even if you think it is minor, make sure you protect your statutory rights and report your injury. Generally, employees should report their injury to… Read more »

Top 5 Tips for Staying Safe at Work

The best way to resolve a work-related injury is to prevent it from happening in the first place. Follow proper safety precautions and maintenance of equipment. Making sure that equipment is working properly and that messes are cleaned up quickly and efficiently is an excellent way to cut down on injuries at work. Dress Appropriately…. Read more »