You or your spouse recently suffered a serious workplace accident in Minnesota. But you may be hesitant to file a workers’ comp claim because you don’t want to lose your job or fear repercussions
at the office. Obviously, when your job and livelihood are potentially at stake, it’s critical to proceed with caution.
State law prohibits employers from retaliating against workers who file workers’ comp claims. Your employer also may not obstruct your claim. Furthermore, he or she has to offer you a reasonable opportunity to continue to work, or you can sue for what are known as civil damages.
For instance, if you fail to fulfill your ordinary duties (tasks and projects that you can do, given your restrictions), your employer can fire you. Also, if you engage in misconduct that would ordinarily be a firing offense, you can lose your job.
The law protects employees from outright retaliation or aggression, but it cannot force your coworkers to greet you with a smile or require your boss, who once loved you and the work you did, to write a stellar letter of recommendation for your next job.
The good news is that most employers understand and respect the law. They expect that a seriously hurt worker would file a claim and retain an attorney to help with the process.
Employers do make mistakes, some overt and intentional, some accidental. These include:
No matter what’s happened to you, the team here at the Osterbauer Harper & Furth Law Firm is standing by. We can help you get fair compensation for your lost wages, medical bills, therapies, and pain and suffering. We can also help you deal with the challenging “little problems” that crop up along the way, including: how to talk to your employer and coworkers about your claim; how to make the transition back to work smooth and “low drama”; and how to fulfill your job responsibilities (or transform them), so that you can enjoy what you do and be productive once again.
Contact us now for a free consultation about your MN workers’ comp case. In addition to our Minneapolis office, we can travel to see you anywhere in the state. We have consistently achieved excellent results for clients in all types of workers’ compensation cases.
