Every case is different.  And so, your unique facts and circumstances will affect what you need to do.  It’s always a good idea to talk to a lawyer.  Worker’s compensation attorneys will pick up the phone and talk to you.  Most of the good ones will answer the questions that you have just as a free consultation.  That’s what our office does.  But there are things that everyone needs to know about.

The first is the reporting requirements by the state of Minnesota.  You need to make sure that you report your injury to your supervisors in a formal capacity so that your claim won’t be barred later down the road.  Along that same line, there’s a statute of limitation that gets implicated in every worker’s compensation case.  That can be as short as three years, so keep that in the back of your mind as well.
The next thing – if you have an injury, you need to get medical treatment.  Your employer can’t dictate, in most circumstances, where you can get the medical treatment.  So you can go to your own doctor or an emergency room or an urgent care and get the treatment that you need.  When you go, make sure that you explain all of your symptoms.

I’ve heard so many times that people have neck problems and back problems and shoulder problems, but their shoulder is the most important, so that’s the only thing that they talk about.  Well guess what?  Down the road, the insurance company will use that against you.  So make sure that you complain about every symptom you’re having at that first medical appointment.