Will A Work Comp Claim Create An Adversarial Relationship With My Employer?

Unlike a car accident or a dog bite, when you have a work related injury the claim is brought against your employer.  There is a fear that "suing" your employer will result in your termination or other forms of retaliation.  Is this legal?  The answer is absolutely not!  An employer is subject to significant civil penalties for terminating or discriminating against an employee for reporting or bringing a workers compensation claim.  This is a separate claim from the workers compensation claim.  It's a civil action heard in district court and brought before a jury.  The work comp claim will be a separate claim brought before an administrative law judge, no jury and usually on an expedited basis in comparison to a civil case. 

If you have sustained a work related injury and believe your employer is discriminating against you for filing a claim, contact the lawyers of Atkinson Law Office today.  We will review your workers compensation claim AND advise you as to the likelihood of successfully pursuing a claim against your employer for discrimination.  Please do NOT let your employer bully or intimidate you from bring a Minnesota workers compensation claim.  There are time constraints for initiating a claim for work comp benefits and treatment.  Visit our website Free Minnesota Workers Compensation Law Center or call today at 651-333-3636.  We represent clients all over Minnesota and throughout the US who have sustained work related injuries.  Visit our website today

Has Your Doctor Recommended An Artificial Lumbar Or Cervical Disc For Your Minnesota Workers Compensation Injury?

Having undergone multiple spine surgeries myself, the use of artificial discs in the area of Minnesota workers compensation cases is more than a professional interest for me...it's personal.  I have had multiple cervical and lumbar spine surgeries over the course of 30 years.  During that time, there was no such thing as an artificial disc being used her in Minnesota.  

Over the last decade multiple companies have used a form of artificial disc for both lumbar and cervical surgeries.  What they have learned and I have experienced with or clients, is that they often don't work in the lumbar spine but have been extraordinary successful in the cervical spine.  If you think about it, there is far less weight and stressors on the neck in comparison to the low back.  One of the struggles with a lumbar artificial disc is described in a recent Minnesota Workers Compensation Court of Appeals case I handled.   Our client had an unsuccessful artificial lumbar disc surgery which resulted in him being permanently and totally disabled.  If you would like to read about our victory and the case follow this link.

The Mobi C is the most popular and in my opinion the most successful artificial disc being used today in cervical spine surgeries.  I have spoken on this topic at seminars with a few surgeons in Minnesota including Drs. Mary Dunn and Nick Will (one is a neurosurgeon and the other is an orthopedic surgeon) and they both speak very highly of the Mobi C.  I have had dozens of clients use the Mobi C in the cervical spine and so far, they have experienced excellent results.  Though there is always a risk involving any surgery there seems to be less complications with the Mobi C then in a normal cervical fusion.  Clients have experienced greater neck flexibility, less chance of infection and faster recovery times over a standard fusion.  Below is a video which describes the procedure and the device.

If you have sustained a Minnesota Workers Compensation Injury you should always speak to an experienced workers compensation expert.  You may believe, incorrectly, that everything is being paid properly and you are getting the maximum benefit.  Well, that's rarely the case.  We offer absolutely FREE and no pressure phone or in person meetings to discuss your injury.  We are one of Minnesota's largest and most successful workers compensation law firms.  All of our lawyers have been recognized by our peers and judges as Superlawyers, we have recovered millions of dollars in benefits for our clients every year, and we achieve larger settlements than most firms because the insurance companies know the lawyers at Atkinson Law Office have tried hundreds of cases to hearing and aren't afraid to fight when necessary.  Our phones are answered 24 hours/day, call today 651-333-3636.  We represent Minnesota workers who have have been injured across the entire state and throughout the Unites States.  Atkinson Law Office; we are Minnesota's number one workers compensation law firm.

Construction Worker Falls To Death At New Viking Stadium. Was This Preventable?

Today an employee of Berwald Roofing died when he fell to his death and another worker was severely injured.  I'm very familiar with this employer and I am of the opinion that Berwald Roofing, like many Minnesota employers, does not always have the best interest of their workers in mind when operating jobs.  I have represented injured workers at Berwald with significant restrictions that knowingly place in jobs outside of their restrictions placing injured workers at significant risk of injury or even death.  I pray the workers in this tragedy are not ones that I know.

If you have sustained a work injury and have work restrictions, please think carefully before you return to work and placed in a situation where your employer ignores your restrictions and places you and others in harms way.  As a father I understand that it's hard to ignore the enormous financial benefits that come with employment and that workers compensation under the best of circumstances results in a 33% cut in pay.  But your life matters and I don't want to read about you as the next victim of a work related accident.

If you have sustained a Minnesota workers compensation injury, contact the attorneys at Atkinson Law Office today.  Our lawyers have over 50 years of combined workers compensation experience and are recognized leaders in Minnesota for work place injuries.  Call us today for a free consultation.  651-333-3636.  We are Minnesota's Workers Compensation Specialists.