If you have been hurt on the job, the experienced Minnesota Workers’ Compensation attorneys at Kemmitt, Sanford & Kramer know that one of your first questions is probably how long your benefits will last. The answer depends on the type of injury you sustained, how it affects your ability to earn a living, and where you are in the recovery process. Minnesota law sets specific timeframes and rules for each category of benefit.
Medical coverage under workers’ compensation is not tied to a fixed expiration date. As long as the care is reasonable, necessary, and connected to your work-related injury, your employer’s workers’ compensation insurer is responsible for paying for it. That includes doctor visits, surgeries, prescriptions, physical therapy, chiropractic care, and pain management.
Once you reach maximum medical improvement (MMI) and no longer need active treatment, those benefits naturally wind down. However, you can continue to receive benefits for ongoing symptoms if a physician deems it necessary.
Wage-loss benefits, on the other hand, follow stricter timelines that depend on the type and permanence of your disability. Minnesota provides four types of disability benefits, each designed to match a different stage or severity of injury.
If your injury keeps you out of work entirely while you recover, TTD benefits replace a portion of your lost wages. These payments continue until you return to work, reach MMI, or hit the 130-week cap, which is roughly two and a half years. Your treatment, therapy, and rehabilitation services run alongside these payments to help you get back on your feet.
When you are cleared to return to work but can only handle lighter duties or fewer hours, TPD benefits make up part of the gap between your old wages and what you are currently earning. These payments continue until you either reach MMI or get back to your pre-injury earnings.
If your injury leaves you with lasting impairment, you are entitled to PPD benefits. A physician rates the severity of your impairment against Minnesota’s official schedule, and that rating determines what you receive. Payments may come as a lump sum or in installments, and they generally last until age 72. Payments cease after five years if the injury occurred after age 67,
PTD benefits apply when your injury prevents you from holding any gainful employment. These are reserved for the most severe cases and can continue until retirement age, when other programs typically take over. They often include wage replacement plus vocational and medical support.
Benefits timelines look straightforward on paper, but in practice, they are often disputed, shortened, or cut off prematurely. In these situations, having a legal advocate in your corner can make all the difference between a denied claim and the full recovery you deserve.
The attorneys at Kemmitt, Sanford & Kramer can fight to keep your benefits flowing for every week you are entitled to them. If you are worried your benefits will be terminated too soon or have already received notice that your payments are ending, contact us today and trust our attorneys to protect what you are owed.
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