Woodbury Work Injury Attorneys

Woodbury Workers Compensation Attorney

Woodbury is home to major employers like Assurant, Dean Foods, EcoWaterSystems, Globe University, and Summit Orthopedics, plus many other smaller businesses and retail shopping enterprises. 

Sadly, too many Woodbury workers regularly suffer job-related injuries. Many of these injuries will result in a lifetime of disability and medical treatments. 

Workers’ compensation is a form of no-fault insurance policy that all employers must provide for their injured employees unless they wish to self-insure. Unfortunately, employers and their insurers often fight valid claims, leaving workers without the benefits they need to provide for themselves and their families.

If you incurred a workplace injury, until you have a chance to call the Woodbury workers’ compensation lawyers at Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers for an evaluation of your case, read on for more information about how to obtain income-loss, medical, and other benefits through the state’s workers’ compensation program.

About Nicolet Law

Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers is a truly regional firm known as a premier resource for those facing financial distress following an injury at work. With 15 team members in nine locations throughout Wisconsin and Minnesota, we combine the resources and convenience of a large regional firm with the personalized service that you expect from local attorneys.

We know how to handle complicated workers’ comp cases, and we know that each client is different and deserves a custom-tailored case plan. We know that if you’re injured or facing financial difficulty, you should only have to think about getting better and being there for your family—we take on the legal work for you so that you can do exactly that.

We take care of all the heavy lifting in a worker’s comp claim, so you can focus on your life and your family.

Our Record of Success in Workers Comp Claims

The dedicated Woodbury worker’s comp associates at Nicolet Law boast decades of combined experience representing clients injured in the workplace. We’ve recovered over $34 million in compensation for our clients, and look forward to the chance to see how we can help you and your loved ones.

Some of our past clients include:

• A younger man with back problems endured multiple fusions and surgeries due to his work in heavy manual labor. With our guidance and representation, he was approved for benefits at the hearing level.
• An employee injured at work was denied permanent partial disability (PPD) benefits. We not only got the employee the lost earnings, but also covered his PPD with additional funds to pay for future medical care.
• An employee was denied any permanent partial disability (PPD) for his back injury. We worked with his doctors and a vocational expert to build a strong case for the employee, and we secured him over $50,000 for the injury.

While no attorney can guarantee the results in any particular case, rest assured that the passionate team at Nicolet Law Firm draws on our deep well of experience to pursue the best possible outcome in every client’s claim. For more examples of our past success, consider some of our past case results.

The Workers Compensation Program

Woodbury boasts a workforce of more than 40,000 people between the ages of 18 and 64, with more than half of those workers earning more than $40,000 a year. A bad injury on the job can quickly wipe out all the savings a person at that income can accumulate and leave them destitute.

In Minnesota, the process of compensating injured workers for wage loss and providing other benefits to assist them after they have incurred a workplace injury appears in the Workers’ Compensation Act. It’s complicated, however, and you may want our help with the application or an appeal of any wrongful denials you’ve received.

The Benefits Available

Workers’ comp provides several benefits for injured workers, including:

• All reasonable and necessary medical care related to the injury.
• Wage loss benefits to replace a portion of the wages you have lost due to being too injured to work or having to miss work to attend an injury-related medical appointment.
• Lifetime benefits if your injury causes you to incur permanent total disability.
• Benefits for your family members, such as your spouse or children, if you die as the result of a workplace injury or illness.
• Vocational rehabilitation services that are available to injured workers who can no longer perform job-related tasks that they were expected to perform at work before the injury or illness occurred.
• Travel and mileage expenses for traveling to injury-related medical appointments or vocational rehabilitation.

Disability Levels

The four levels of disability for which injured workers in Woodbury can receive wage loss benefits are.

• Temporary partial disability: This designation allows for you to receive two-thirds of the difference between your average income before your injury and your current income. This assistance is provided for individuals who perform some job-related tasks but can’t earn the same amount as before the injury.
• Temporary total disability: Most workers whose injuries are severe enough for medical treatment and more than three days of missed work will have their claim begin as a temporary total disability claim until the permanence of the injury is determined. This type of disability results in benefits that include two-thirds of the injured employee’s average weekly income before the accident occurred until the level of disability changes or the individual’s medical condition improves to the point that he or she can return to work.
• Permanent partial disability: This level of disability generally results in a lump-sum payment for the permanent loss of the use of a body part that does not render the individual totally disabled.
• Permanent total disability: This is the most serious disability designation, as it means that—to a degree of medical certainty—it is not believed that you will ever perform any type of job-related tasks. You will be eligible for two-thirds of the weekly average of what you were earning before the injury occurred.

How to Obtain Workers Compensation Benefits in Woodbury

If you are injured on the job or suffer from a work-related illness, ask us for help in taking these steps to obtain workers’ compensation benefits in Woodbury:

• Report your injury to your employer within the statutory timeframe to do so to preserve your right to obtain workers’ comp benefits. You should report your injury even if you do not intend to seek medical treatment or miss work because of it.
• Seek medical treatment. If it is an emergency, seek treatment from the nearest provider. Otherwise, Minnesota allows injured workers to choose their own doctors. Inform your doctor that this is a work-related injury. He or she may ask how the injury occurred and why you believe the injury is work-related. You will also need to provide him or her with the name and contact information of your employer or work supervisor as well as your employer’s insurance provider. Your doctor will complete a Report of Work Ability form for your employer and his or her insurer that details the physical limitations that you have incurred from the injury.
• Within 10 days after receiving the report of your injury, your employer must complete a First Report of Injury form and report the injury to his or her insurance provider. The First Report of Injury must also be submitted to the state’s labor and industry department if the injury causes a loss of more than 10 days of work.
• Your employer may investigate the cause of your injuries and determine if it has any reason to dispute your claim.
• The findings of your employer’s investigation into your injury will be reported to the insurer. If the claim is disputed, you will likely be required to produce evidence or documentation of the injury, so be sure you keep any information or documentation provided to you by your doctor. In cases where there is a disputed claim or belief that someone is receiving benefits they are not eligible for, the insurance company is legally permitted to request an Independent Medical Evaluation (IME). This is a medical evaluation conducted by a physician of the employer or insurer’s choosing who has not been previously involved in your care. The evaluation will include both a series of questions about your work-related accident, the injury you incurred, and the treatments you received, as well as an evaluation to see whether you can perform basic work-related tasks such as lifting, standing, sitting, and remembering. You can also be evaluated on your ability to perform work tasks specifically related to your job.
• Within 14 days of reporting the injury to your employer, you should receive a Notice of Insurer’s Primary Liability Determination. This is the official decision letter about your claim.
• If your claim is approved, you will begin receiving wage-loss benefits.
• If your claim is denied, you should receive an explanation as to why it was denied and be informed of your option to appeal the decision through an administrative hearing. If you have not already spoken to an experienced Woodbury workers’ compensation lawyer, this would be a good time to do so.

Frequently Asked Questions About Obtaining Workers Comp Benefits in Woodbury

Suffering a workplace injury is usually a stressful situation. You likely are finding yourself wondering how you will pay your bills if you are too injured to work, or wondering what you are going to do if your claim gets denied. Let us help alleviate some of that confusion. Here are answers to some of the questions our Woodbury clients ask us most often about obtaining benefits through Minnesota’s workers’ compensation program.

Call Our Woodbury Workers Compensation Attorneys Today

With 15 team members in nine locations throughout Wisconsin and Minnesota, Nicolet Law attorneys strive to be more than just legal professionals in the communities we serve. As committed members of the Woodbury community, we ensure that when someone hires Nicolet Law, they aren’t just treated as just another case file: They are family, and we aspire to achieve the best outcome possible.

If you need help obtaining workers’ compensation benefits after suffering a workplace illness or injury, our passionate Woodbury workers’ compensation lawyers can help. For a free case evaluation, contact us online or by calling (651) 815-0017.

Woodbury Office
724 Bielenberg Drive
Suite 126
Woodbury, MN 55125
Phone: 651-815-0017