A broken bone incurred at work is obviously be inconvenient for the affected employee. They will need to leave in the middle of a shift for medical attention. They may miss several days of work at first and have restrictions on the job functions they can perform while healing.
Thankfully, given the immediately recognizable trauma they’ve experienced, they will likely consider that they may have the option of pursuing a workers’ compensation claim. An eligible employee can receive full coverage for the treatment of their injury. Minnesota workers’ compensation can also provide disability benefits that can replace someone’s wages if they cannot work at all or supplement their reduced income if they have to accept a lower-paid position.
Recovery will take weeks or months
Exactly how long it takes for someone to heal from a broken bone will depend on the injury itself. If it is a simple, stable fracture, someone’s body might heal and as little as six to eight weeks. More severe fractures, like comminuted fractures where the bone breaks into multiple pieces or compound fractures where the bone forces itself through the skin, could require surgery and a longer recovery.
Employees will very likely require accommodations when they return to work. Those accommodations could potentially keep them employed full-time even while their bone is still in the process of healing. Of course, not every employer has alternate job responsibilities to offer an injured worker, so some employees will require time away from the job. Therefore, some workers may need to take time off until not only the bone itself heals, but also after they complete physical therapy and regain full functionality of the affected body part.
The bad news for those with severe fractures is that workers’ compensation will only replace a portion of their wages until they are able to get back to work. However, the good news is that both total and partial disability benefits can continue until someone fully recovers. Learning more about the medical prognosis for specific injuries and the benefits available if someone gets hurt on the job may help people better manage the financial fallout of a recent workplace injury.