Ramsey County Workers Compensation Lawyer

No one goes into work in the morning expecting to get hurt on the job. But when it happens to you, you need experienced legal help to get the benefits you’re entitled to by law.

In Minnesota, practically all employers are required to purchase workers’ compensation insurance for their workers. As a worker who was injured on the job, you are entitled to the workers’ compensation benefits mandated by Minnesota law. However, your employer’s workers’ comp insurer is more interested in protecting its bottom line than in paying you fairly, so it may use every possible excuse to deny or minimize your claim.

That’s where a workers’ compensation lawyer from Baehman Fitzgerald comes in. We represent injured workers throughout Ramsey County, and while workers’ compensation law is our primary focus, we could also help you if you have grounds for a third-party personal injury claim.

Don’t worry about whether you can afford a workers’ compensation lawyer. Your initial consultation is free, and we won’t collect an attorney’s fee unless we get back pay or other benefits for you. So call our law office today to speak with a workers’ comp lawyer serving Ramsey County about your case, and let us help you get back on your feet.

How Does the Workers' Compensation Process Work in Ramsey County?

When you’ve been injured at work in Ramsey County, you can take certain actions to protect your health and your rights to the workers’ compensation benefits you’re entitled to. If your injury is serious, get emergency medical care first. Next, take these steps:

Report the injury: Report the injury to your supervisor immediately, but also give your employer written notice within fourteen days of the injury. Your notice should include the date, time, location, and circumstances of the accident. Your employer is supposed to complete a First Report of Injury (FROI) form and send it to their insurance carrier within 10 days of learning you got hurt at work.
Get medical care: If your employer participates in a managed care plan, you must choose a doctor from their network. If your workplace operates under a collective bargaining agreement, you may be required to select an employer from an approved list. If neither of these conditions applies, you may select your own doctor.
Get approval or denial from the insurance company: The insurance company must notify you whether it accepts, denies, or will pay your claim without prejudice within 14 days of receiving the FROI.
Receive benefits: If the insurer accepts your claim, you’ll get medical and wage loss benefits as appropriate.
Dispute resolution: If the insurer denied your claim, you can appeal that decision.

Even if your claim seems straightforward, your wisest choice will be to engage an experienced lawyer from a workers’ compensation law firm to handle your claim for you. Such an attorney will know the ins and outs of the workers’ comp system and how each different insurer operates, which can give them an edge in fighting for the benefits you deserve.

What Workers' Compensation Benefits Are Available in Minnesota?

Injured workers in Ramsey County and elsewhere in Minnesota are entitled to workers’ compensation benefits when they get hurt on the job. Those benefits include:

Medical benefits

Reasonable and necessary treatments related to your work injury, including prescriptions. You may be entitled to reimbursement for mileage and parking if you drive to your appointments or to pick up subscriptions.

Temporary total disability (TTD)

If you are completely off work because of your injury, TTD benefits pay two-thirds of your average weekly wage. These benefits last for 130 weeks, but can be paid longer if you’re in an approved work retraining program.

Temporary partial disability (TPD)

TPD benefits are paid if you return to work making less money than before your injury. They pay two-thirds of the difference between your pre-injury average weekly wage and your current wage. You can receive these benefits for up to 275 weeks.

Permanent total disability (PTD)

If your work injury leaves you incapable of returning to work in any steady job, you may get PTD benefits. They pay two-thirds of your gross average weekly wage at the time of the injury.

Permanent partial disability (PPD)

You can get these benefits for the permanent loss of use of a part of your body. The amount of the benefit is based on a doctor’s impairment rating and a specific dollar amount specified in Minnesota’s statutes.

Contact a Minnesota workers’ compensation attorney from a reputable law firm to advise you about which types of benefits you may be entitled to receive.

What Employers and Industries Lead to Workers' Comp Claims in Ramsey County?

Ramsey County is a hub for financial services, with both state government and private companies serving as major employers. High-tech manufacturing and chemical and food production take place in our county. Ramsey County is also home to the corporate headquarters of many companies that drive our economic growth, including Ecolab and Securian Financial Group.

Workplace injuries occur across every industry and job type, and workers’ compensation laws apply to nearly all of them. An attorney from a reputable Ramsey County workers’ comp law firm can advise you about how to pursue the benefits you’re entitled to.

Where Are Workers' Compensation Hearings Held in Ramsey County?

Workers’ compensation hearings in Ramsey County are held at the Office of Administrative Hearings, 600 North Robert Street, in St. Paul. In some cases, some parties may be allowed to appear via teleconference. Your attorney will advise you about whether you need to meet them at the hearing site.

Why Do Workers' Compensation Claims Get Denied in Ramsey County?

There are many reasons that workers’ compensation claims get denied. Among them are:

Missed deadlines: If you fail to notify your employer within 14 days, but at the latest, before 180 days have passed, your claim can be denied.
Disputed cause of injury: The employer or insurer may claim your injury didn’t happen at work, particularly if no witnesses saw the accident.
Pre-existing conditions: Insurers look for prior conditions or injuries they can use to argue that your job didn’t cause your current condition.
Incomplete paperwork: Missing or incomplete documentation, or inaccurately or incompletely filled-out forms, are frequent causes of claim denials.
Medical disputes: Insurers may send you to an independent doctor for an evaluation. If their doctor doesn’t think you are as seriously injured as your doctor does, the insurer can deny your claim.

When Should You Talk to a Workers' Compensation Lawyer?

The sooner you call a Ramsey County, MN, workers’ compensation lawyer from Baehman Fitzgerald, the better. Our law firm has been in the business of protecting injured workers for 30 years, and we’re prepared to help you, too. Our workers’ compensation lawyers have more combined experience than you’ll find at any other firm in the area. We know how to pursue successful workers’ compensation claims.

When you call our office, you’ll speak with a real person, and the workers’ compensation attorney you meet with in your initial consultation will be the attorney who handles your case. You won’t be passed around to different people, and you’ll always know where to turn to for the answers you need.

Don’t wait. Call us today or contact us online for your free consultation, and let us get to work on your claim right away.

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