It is a Minnesota employer’s responsibility to ensure the workplace is safe from hazards and, when employers neglect to live up to this responsibility, employees get injured through little or no fault of their own. However, many injured employees may not be aware that they might be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits if their injury is suffered during the course of employment while they were performing work-related tasks.
Workers’ compensation refers to laws that are created to provide benefits to injured employees. It is the law that almost every business must have some form of workers’ compensation in place, regardless of whether the employer is a federal employer or a private employer. It is an employee’s right to file a workers’ compensation claim if they have been injured in the workplace.
An injury can lead to significant financial costs and workers’ compensation laws serve to mitigate that financial burden. It is also important to know that workers’ compensation is often the exclusive remedy for an injured worker. The system is no-fault and also prevents the employee from filing a civil lawsuit against the employer. This means workers’ compensation if oftentimes the only safety net injured workers have when they are injured on the job.
Unfortunately, injured employees can get stuck in the tug-of-war between employers and insurance companies and lose out financially in the process at a time when their monetary needs are often the highest. It is important to understand your rights in these situations in order to make the best choice.
