Are you unsure about the best legal route for your case? Compare workers’ compensation and personal injury lawsuits to make an informed decision.
Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you suffered an injury on the job or due to someone else’s negligence? If so, you might be wondering what your legal options are and which path is the best to pursue.
Should you file a workers’ compensation case? Would it be better to pursue compensation via a personal injury lawsuit?
Our personal injury and workers’ compensation lawyers near Minneapolis will answer these questions and more. Read on to learn more about pursuing injury compensation via workers’ compensation vs personal injury claims.
Understanding Workers’ Compensation: Benefits and Limitations
Minnesota workers’ compensation is a system designed to provide benefits and financial assistance to employees who sustain work-related injuries or illnesses. It is a no-fault system, meaning that fault or negligence does not need to be proven.
Our firm’s compensation lawyers near Minneapolis can help you navigate the following key aspects of workers’ compensation.
Medical Benefits
Workers’ compensation covers medical expenses related to the injury or illness, including doctor’s visits, hospitalization, and medications. Also, depending on the severity of your work-related injuries, your workers’ comp may pay for physical therapy and rehabilitation.
Wage Loss Benefits
Indeed, you may still work and receive temporary partial disability benefits. However, if you are unable to work due to your injury, workers’ compensation provides wage replacement benefits. These benefits will typically be a percentage of your average weekly wage. As you recover, you’ll receive these benefits either bi-weekly or monthly. It all depends on the arrangements you’ve made with your employer.
Disability Benefits
The more severe your work-related injury is, the more likely you’ll be disabled from working. For this reason, workers’ compensation will also include disability benefits. Disability benefits will compensate you for the loss of your capacity to work.
Death Benefits
Sometimes, workplace accidents result in death. In these tragic cases where a worker loses their life due to a work-related incident, workers’ compensation offers death benefits to the surviving dependents.
Exploring Personal Injury Lawsuits: Eligibility and Potential Damages
Personal injury lawsuits are legal claims brought by individuals who have been injured due to someone else’s negligence or intentional wrongdoing.
To understand the intricacies of personal injury lawsuits, it is important to consult personal injury and workers’ compensation lawyers near Minneapolis. Our attorneys can guide you through the following points and help you determine whether or not you should file a personal injury claim in Minnesota.
Eligibility
To pursue a personal injury lawsuit, you must prove that another party was at fault for your injuries. This requires establishing that the defendant owed you a duty of care, breached that duty, and caused your injuries as a result.
Determining your eligibility for a claim makes personal injury lawsuits potentially more complex and time-consuming. This is because determining your eligibility requires gathering evidence and compiling it to strengthen your case. Fortunately, our compensation lawyers near Minneapolis can bolster your personal injury claim and maximize your chances of success.
Potential Damages
Personal injury lawsuits can potentially result in both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages include medical expenses, lost wages, property damage, and other quantifiable losses. Non-economic damages cover losses that are not tangible like emotional distress.
Punitive Damages
In some cases, personal injury lawsuits may also seek punitive damages. Punitive damages are meant to punish the defendant for particularly egregious conduct.
Factors To Consider: Choosing the Right Legal Path for Your Case
When you determine the appropriate legal path for your case, there are several factors to consider. Our personal injury and workers’ compensation lawyers near Minneapolis can help you evaluate these factors.
Nature of the Injury
If your injury is work-related and occurred during your employment, workers’ compensation may be the most straightforward and efficient way to seek compensation. However, if your injury was caused by a third party’s negligence or intentional actions, a personal injury lawsuit may be more appropriate.
Extent of Damages
If your losses are primarily economic — such as medical bills and lost wages — workers’ compensation may adequately cover these expenses.
On the other hand, a personal injury lawsuit may provide a better opportunity to recover compensation for non-economic damages, like pain and suffering.
Potential Outcomes
Workers’ compensation offers a streamlined process and guaranteed benefits. By comparison, personal injury lawsuits provide the opportunity for broader compensation but involve more complex legal proceedings.
Statute of Limitations
Minnesota’s statute of limitations for personal injury claims is two years, but it’s three years for workers’ compensation claims. These time limits need to be part of your decision-making process when you try to pursue compensation.
Choose an Attorney That Can Represent You in Personal Injury and Workers’ Compensation Claims in Minnesota
Understanding the differences between workers’ compensation and personal injury lawsuits is crucial when you’re determining the best legal path for your case. While workers’ compensation provides essential benefits for work-related injuries, personal injury lawsuits may offer the opportunity to seek compensation for a broader range of damages.
Make an informed decision about your legal path. Contact us to discuss your case and receive expert guidance.
