When you have to visit the emergency room after a work injury, you and your family probably have a lot of questions. Will your employer pay for your medical expenses? Will you be stuck covering thousands of dollars in bills? How will you return to work? What if you cannot work? Getting workers’ compensation can help answer many of these questions.
How Can Workers’ Comp Help with Emergency Room Bills?
The Minnesota workers’ compensation system is set up to help you with medical bills related to your injury. This includes the costs of an ambulance and emergency room care, as well as outpatient care and doctor’s visits.
Workers’ compensation depends on your employer purchasing insurance from a workers’ compensation insurer. This insurer pays out benefits to qualifying injured employees. Beyond medical benefits, you can receive wage loss benefits that partially compensate you for time off work, and you can receive vocational rehabilitation benefits that help you return to work.
What If the Insurer Says You Are Not Covered by Workers’ Comp?
Unfortunately, workers’ compensation insurance companies commonly deny employees’ claims for benefits. The insurers may argue that the employees were not injured at work, that they are basing their current claims on older injuries, or other arguments that do not always have a strong basis.
When you have to go to the emergency room for a work injury, you probably have many witnesses to your injury and the aftermath. Maybe your coworkers saw the injury and called the ambulance, or maybe your manager drove you to the hospital. As a result, the insurance company already has a weaker argument that your medical expenses are not covered.
Instead, the insurer might claim that you had an “idiopathic” injury – one personal to you and unrelated to your job or workplace. Or the insurer could say that the injury did not happen in the course of your employment if you were on a break, arriving at the office, or travelling.
To counter these kinds of legal arguments, you should consider finding a lawyer. A qualified workers’ compensation lawyer has heard these arguments before and knows how to address them. Your emergency room visits shouldn’t have to become a financial burden just because you receive an initial denial of workers’ compensation 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.
