Essentially, there are six different types of work comp benefits that an injured worker might be entitled to in the state of Minnesota. Payment of their reasonable unnecessary medical treatment, medical treatment that is substantially is contributed to by their work injury. They’re entitled to a consultation with a qualified rehabilitation consultant and what a qualified rehabilitation consultant does is they help with the medical case management of the injured workers case. And essentially, that’s just a fancy phrase for helping with communication between the injured worker and their healthcare provider so their healthcare provider knows what is required, physically required of the injured worker at work, helping with communication between the healthcare provider and the injured workers employer. But most importantly, helping with communication between the healthcare provider and the work comp insurer so the insurer knows aht the diagnosis is and what the plan is for further treatment.

The injured worker is also entitled to a benefit called permanent partial disability and essentially that’s just monetary compensation for having sustained a particular type of injury. So it could be based on the nature of the injury, it can be based upon the nature of procedure to treat the injury, or it may be based on a loss of function after the employee has recovered as well as they’re going to recover.

And then there are three different types of wage loss benefits, temporary total disability benefits paid at a rate of two-thirds of the injured workers average weekly wage paid while the injured worker is off work because their healthcare provider says that they can’t work or paid during a period of time in which the injured worker has restrictions that their date of injury employer can’t accommodate. Temporary partial disability compensation, injured worker has restrictions, potentially goes back to work light duty but only four hours a day so they’re sustain a wage loss. Work comp pays two-thirds of that partial wage loss for up to currently, 275 weeks.

And then the final wage loss benefit is called permanent total disability and that’s when and injury worker has permanent restrictions as a result of their work injury. And that in combination with their age, their education, their transferable skills, and the labor market within which they find themselves they’re unable to find any job that provides a substantial gainful livelihood.