Manufacturing Workers

Injuries at Work

If you work in manufacturing, you know that the work required can on one hand be fairly light but repetitive work, and on the other can be fairly dangerous, heavy and physically demanding work. Injuries can range from carpal tunnel syndrome to injured backs to amputated limbs. Whatever you call an injury that you get at work: workers' compensation, work comp, workers comp, workman's comp, work-related or workplace injury, when you are injured at work or on the job, you may be entitled to benefits under Minnesota's workers' compensation statutes. Your work-related injury generally will be covered even if it was partly or completely your fault. Also, even if your employer does not have workers' compensation coverage, you may still be eligible for benefits.

Employers frequently deny employee claims for work comp benefits even when the employee has a clear claim to benefits. Then this happens getting your work comp benefits from your employer can be uncomfortable, confrontational and upsetting. That's where Nelson Law Office can help. We can step in to advocate for you and advance your claim when you can use help jumping through the hoops necessary to obtain your benefits. We have successfully handled work comp claims of all kinds over the years for clients who work in both heavy and light manufacturing.

Tips for Injured Workers

If you are injured at work:

• Immediately report your injury verbally or in writing to your supervisor and/ or a member of your company's human resources department (or risk management department, if they have one), and obtain a copy of your employer's work comp rules.
• Seek medical care from your usual treating doctor, or, if it's an emergency, from an urgent care center or emergency room. You have the right to seek medical care from a doctor of your choice. There are very few situations in which your employer is allowed to choose your doctor for you, such as when a managed care plan has been selected and implemented by your employer.
• Read "An Employee's Guide to the Minnesota Workers' Compensation System," which is provided by the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry and is available on the DOLI's website. It contains a lot of information that will be helpful to you.
• Depending on the type, severity and length of your injury, you may have a right to the services of a Qualified Rehabilitation Consultant (QRC). You have the right to select your own QRC and Nelson Law Office can help you choose one. If your employer or its insurer assigns a QRC to you and you want to change QRC's, you can, but you must do so within a statutory 60 day deadline.

Our Fees are Contingent

Our fees are contingent, which means that we do not charge you a fee for our services unless we win or settle your case. Our fees are paid out of the benefits that are paid to you.