In Minnesota and indeed throughout the country, workers are wondering about lost wages that result from contracting COVID-19. Especially in jobs that are high risk for contracting the virus, people want to know whether they can obtain workers’ compensation benefits and, if so, what is required to obtain these benefits.
The new law in Minnesota opens the doors for COVID-based workers’ compensation claims. This law covers certain occupations that have workers on the front lines and at the highest risk. In most workers’ compensation claims, the injured worker must establish that the illness or injury was indeed contracted on the job. With the new Minnesota law, those workers in occupations that qualify do not have to show that they contracted coronavirus at work. It is presumed that, if they have COVID-19, it was contracted on the job.
Requirements for obtaining benefits
However, there is still a process involved for obtaining workers’ compensation benefits.
According to the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, you do not have to be tested for COVID-19 in order to obtain benefits. You need either a positive lab test or, if that test is not available to you, a diagnosis from a medical professional, based on your symptoms, that you have COVID-19.
The medical professional needs to be a licensed physician, a licensed physician’s assistant or a licensed advance practice registered nurse.
Once you obtain either the lab results or medical diagnosis, you need to submit these to your employer to qualify for these benefits.
If you are the type of employee covered by this new law in Minnesota, and you have contracted COVID-19, you could obtain benefits much more easily than other types of workers. Talk with an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer about obtaining the benefits you need.