Mileage rates for 2010 have gone to $.50 per mile. Keep this in mind when submitting mileage reimbursement forms.

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Permanent partial disability

Workers Compensation benefits are different than damages you might receive if you are involved in another type of personal injury. Permanent Partial Disability (PPD) Benefits are benefits that are intended to compensate an injured worker for permanent loss or impairment of a bodily function.

In order to make the permanency uniform, the permanent partial disability rules have been developed.  In some situations, these guidelines require there be some objective measures (i.e. MRI, CT scans, etc.) to form a basis for a PPD rating.

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dependency benefits work comp Minnesota

This August, the Bureau of Labor Statistics issued a report titled, “Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries Summary, 2008.” The Bureau reported that a total of 5,071 fatal work injuries were recorded in the United States in 2008, down from a total of 5,657 fatal work injuries reported for 2007.  Some other key finding included:

• Fatal workplace falls, which had risen to a series high in 2007, also declined by 20 percent in 2008. Workplace suicides were up 28 percent to a series high of 251 cases in 2008, but workplace homicides declined 18 percent in 2008.
• Fatal occupational injuries involving Hispanic or Latino workers in 2008 were 17 percent lower than in 2007.  Fatalities among non-Hispanic Black or African American workers were down 16 percent.
• The number of fatal workplace injuries in farming, fishing, and forestry occupations rose 6 percent in 2008 after declining in 2007. Transportation incidents, which accounted for approximately two-fifths of all the workplace fatalities in 2008, fell 13 percent from the previous series low of 2,351 cases reported in 2007.

After a fatal injury, typically the deceased worker leaves behind family and loves ones. The deceased worker’s family is entitled to workers’ compensation benefits in the form of dependency benefits and burial expenses.

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One of the many questions I get asked by injured workers is “What am I going to get for my injury?” Unlike most civil cases, the Minnesota workers compensation  system offers certain benefits when you are injured. The employer and insurer may not tell you what is available and when it might be available to you.  Consequently, you may be losing out on benefits you deserve.

Benefits available under MN work comp includes:

• Wage loss benefits which may incude Temporary total, Temporary partial or Permanent and total disability/dependency benefits
• Permanent partial disability benefits if your injury is permanent and meets certain legal requirements
• Medical benefits
• Rehabilitation assistance

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Before the insurer can discontinue your Minnesota workers’ compensation wage-loss benefits, the insurer must send you a Notice of Intention to Discontinue Benefits (NOID) form. The form must state the basis for the discontinuance and the date. If you disagree with the discontinuance, a conference will need to be scheduled to dispute the discontinuance.

If your benefits have stopped and you have not received an NOID form, call the insurance company to ask if the benefit check was issued and confirm the address it was sent to. However, if the insurer has discontinued your wage-loss benefits without properly notifying you by filing an NOID, you may be entitled to penalties.

What should I do if I receive a Notice of Intention to Discontinue Workers’ Compensation Benefits (NOID)?

Contact an attorney.

In my experience, the sooner a client contacts me after they receive an NOID the better chance we have of fighting the discontinuance.  In some cases an injured worker may have returned to work and therefore the benefits may be discontinued. Contrasty, in some circumstances the benefits should not be discontinued and need to be paid. An attorney can assist in getting your benefits reinstated.

www.jerrysisk.com

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