Blue Collar Workers And Injury Compensation

Minnesota is home to hundreds of thousands of blue collar workers. Workers who show up to the job site in steel toe boots and come home caked in a layer of dirt and grime. They are essential to our infrastructure here in Minnesota, but there’s also risk involved with this type of work.

Not only are these manual laborers more likely to suffer a significant injury in the workplace, they are also some of the least likely to actually move forward with a claim. We’re here to tell you that your injuries matter and you deserve compensation. Below, we explain why blue collar workers may be reluctant to connect with an injury lawyer and pursue the compensation they deserve after a work injury.

Why Blue Collar Workers Don’t Pursue Workers’ Compensation

We work with a number of manual laborers to get them the compensation they are entitled to receive after a work injury, but there are so many others that opt not to seek out an attorney after an injury for a number of reasons. For starters, many of these employees work in conditions where toughness is seen as a badge of honor while weakness is seen as a mark on your character. It’s unfortunate that many blue collar workers feel like they can’t seek compensation for their injuries because of this stigma, and we do our best to dispel this myth when talking to clients. Oftentimes they end up sending coworkers our way because of how simple it was to collect the compensation they are rightfully owed.

Other reasons blue collar workers may opt not to pursue workers’ compensation include:

They assume that injuries or symptoms are expected in their line of work.
A supervisor has intentionally or unintentionally misled them about the workers’ compensation benefit process.
They don’t believe they can afford to miss that much time from work.
They don’t want to leave their crew shorthanded while recovering.
They have been threatened with retaliation by a supervisor if they file for benefits.
They are on a work visa or are undocumented and believe filing for benefits will cause problems for their employment or living status.
Hiring an injury lawyer would be expensive.
The system seems too complex to deal with.

We’ve heard all these excuses and more, but know that all of these reasons are weak and problematic. Injuries may be more likely in your line of work, but that doesn’t mean they are to be expected or just part of the job. Supervisors that provide bad information or companies that threaten employees are violating the law and the employee may be entitled to additional compensation in these situations. Yes, workers’ compensation is complex, but that’s why we’re here. We’ll handle all the complex legal aspects of your case while you focus on your health and your family.

The other excuses we all kind of lump together because they are looking at the injury through the wrong frame of mind. It’s not about letting your coworkers or your company down. They will all function better, as will you and your family, if you seek compensation and work to fully put the injuries in the past so that you’re full strength when you get back to work. If you are hampered by an injury that you never took care of, you’re putting more on your team. Get back to full health and make the strongest recovery possible before rejoining your team.

And finally, know that you’re not going to have to pay out of pocket to secure an injury lawyer. We work on a contingent basis, meaning we only get paid when you win your case. We get a small portion of your award, meaning the more we get for you, the more we end up taking home. We have a vested interest in getting you the most money possible, and you’re not going to be stuck with a bill in the event you don’t win your case.

You’ve worked hard for Minnesota, let us go to work for you in the wake of an on-the-job injury. In the greater Minnesota area, we hope our blue collar workers will reach out to Dean and the team at Margolis Law Firm if they are in need of an ally to help them move forward with an injury claim. Give our team a call today at (952) 230-2700.