A Gillette injury can occur when the cumulative effects of repetitive trauma are severe enough to disable an employee. Based on this information, workers’ compensation injuries are not limited to just one distinct event but could extend over a continuous period of time. Gillette injuries can be major and ultimately life-changing; clients deserve fair compensation.
At Schroeder & Mandel, we’ve helped clients with different workplace injuries and workers’ compensation claims for decades, and we are here to help clients navigate their Gillette injury cases. Whether you are an electrician who needs shoulder surgery for a rotator cuff tear, a nurse who needs a knee replacement or any other employee that suffers from pain caused by your job, we are dedicated to getting you on the right path and helping you understand your specific situation and injury.
Gabe Johnson, an attorney at Schroeder & Mandel, recently represented a delivery truck driver who, after 25 years as an over-the-road truck driver, transitioned to delivery driving. The client was 62 years old and needed bilateral knee replacement surgery from getting in and out of his truck all day every day for 2+ years. On the surface, the case looked like a temporary total disability case, but because the client could NEVER go back to work in the industry, it ended up being a permanent total disability case. The case settled for a substantial sum that would take care of the driver into his retirement—a great outcome.
Trust us when we tell you there are 3 key steps to take if you think your pain is work-related.
- See your physician
Your work-related pain and aches are worth discussing with your doctor. If you are unsure whether you need an appointment, email your doctor’s office or bring it up at your next appointment. Tell them about your pain and what you do for work.Get the diagnosis written into your medical record with detail on treatment plans and how your work contributed to this injury. Having these important details in your medical record can help you advocate for reasonable accommodations at work and can increase your eligibility for benefits.
- Tell your employer
If your physician says your work causes or aggravates the condition, then you need to report it to your employer. Explain that your doctor is treating an ongoing condition, and you want to report a work-related injury.
This step is key. Make sure you report the injury within 14 days. Most workers do not provide notice because they don’t know they have an injury. They recognize the aches and pain but are unaware that under Minnesota law this constitutes an injury and that they could have a work-related injury claim. They might tell their doctor they’re having knee pain, low-back pain, etc., or they’ll see a surgeon who recommends surgery—all without ever reporting it to their employer. Insurers almost always deny these claims if the employee didn’t make an official report.
It is essential to report your injury immediately after seeing a physician who advises you your condition is work-related.
- Talk to an Attorney
If your physician recommends additional treatment, surgery, or physical therapy, and you expect to miss more work, you should definitely talk to an attorney.
Call Gabe Johnson, Schroeder and Mandel’s experienced Workers’ Compensation attorney. Gabe fights for and stands by his clients to secure the settlements that they deserve. He takes great pride in helping people who have been injured on the job because, in his experience, “injured workers want two things: to get better and to get back to work.”
Gabe will help you submit a claim to your employer’s insurance company. At Schroeder & Mandel, we want you to know you are not doing anything wrong by filing a claim. This is exactly why your employer has insurance. You are doing the right thing by protecting yourself and your family and getting back on the road to recovery.
If you have been experiencing work-related pain, please follow these steps to protect yourself in order to get back to work, back to your family, and back to what you enjoyed doing before you were injured.
