When planning a move to another city or state, you may not have considered the effect on your workers’ compensation benefits. If you were injured in Minnesota, you can continue receiving benefits when you move to another city or state. But there are a few steps you should take before the move.
- Talk to a Lawyer
First, you should talk to a workers’ compensation lawyer before the move and before you tell your employer or the insurance company about the move. If you already have a lawyer, check in with him or her, mention the move, and ask about the status of your case. You can discuss if now is the time to talk settlement and how to best tell the insurance company. Your lawyer can keep your case moving forward even though you are no longer nearby.
If you do not have a lawyer yet, you should go to a free consultation and see if there are any additional benefits you could receive. It may be worth your while to get help with your case while you are still in the local area. After you leave, the insurance company may try to take advantage of you or forget about your case.
- Available Medical Care
Investigate medical providers in your new city or state. Look for doctors who can treat your specific injuries, and ask whether they will accept the workers’ compensation insurance. Not all out-of-state doctors accept this type of insurance from another state. You do not want to find out after you move that no one near you can provide treatment (unless you pay out-of-pocket).
- Change of Address
Make sure to notify the insurance company and your employer of your new address and phone number. In particular, the insurer needs this information to continue sending you benefit checks. At this point, you can discuss available medical providers in your new location with the insurer. Your lawyer can help with this too.
- Be Careful
When insurance companies hear that injured workers are moving, they sometimes step up surveillance efforts. Do not get caught on camera carrying furniture and moving boxes if you have a lifting restriction. Notify the insurer in a timely fashion of any new doctor’s restrictions and if you get a new job. You don’t want to provide any excuse for the insurer to deny benefits.
Need help getting workers’ compensation for your injury? Joe Osterbauer, Esq. and the Osterbauer Law Firm stand up for injured Minnesota workers’ rights. Joe’s 27 years of workers’ compensation experience and his team’s speedy service combine to get clients the results they need. To schedule a free consultation, visit Osterbauer Law Firm online or call Joe’s office at (612) 334-3434.
