People who have suffered amputation injuries at work probably need workers’ compensation benefits. These serious injuries could require extensive and expensive medical treatment, and they could have life-changing consequences.
First Priorities for Amputation Injuries: Medical Help and Recovery
The most important steps to take after an amputation injury are seeking emergency medical help and prioritizing recovery. Sometimes, employers and workers’ compensation insurance companies will push injured employees to return to work before they are fully healed. The insurance companies may even deny coverage for certain types of treatment. Prioritize medical help and recovery over worries about work and money.
Available Benefits Can Reduce Financial Strain
Workers’ compensation benefits assist seriously injured employees who need help paying for medical treatment and who lose wages from lost work time. If an amputation affects an employee’s ability to return to his or her old job, vocational rehabilitation services can help with finding a new job and even retraining.
Since amputation injuries can be life-changing, the availability of vocational rehab services is especially important. Employees who are eligible for these services work with qualified rehabilitation consultants. QRCs coordinate with doctors, employers, and insurance companies to understand the employees’ new restrictions and find alternative jobs for them.
Further, medical benefits may include the insurance company paying for a prosthetic limb and covering rehabilitation, such as physical therapy. The Minnesota laws list specifically which kinds of treatment and devices that the insurance company must cover. Sometimes, however, the insurance company tries to deny benefits, which saves itself money. To maximize the benefits you can receive, you may want to speak to a workers’ compensation lawyer.
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.
