Workers’ compensation benefits help relieve the financial burden of employees who suffer work-related personal injuries and illnesses. It allows an employee to recover lost wages and seek medical treatment while preparing to return to work. However, there are circumstances where the injury or illness is so severe that it prevents the employee from returning to their original line of work. Fortunately, Minneapolis ranks first for people with disabilities. You can try to recover not only workers’ compensation benefits but vocational rehabilitation services as well.
What are vocational rehabilitation services?
Vocational rehabilitation (VR) services allow people with disabilities to have rewarding careers and live as independently as possible. The program hopes to help disabled employees return to the workforce with pay comparable or equivalent to what they received in their previous job. VR services include the following:
- Career exploration and interviewing
- Vocational evaluation
- Skills training
- Career and job counseling
- Workplace accommodation
- Support while searching and applying for jobs
- On-the-job training
- Medical and psychological testing
- Education
As promising and accommodating as the program sounds, not all are eligible to receive these benefits. It is essential to understand how you can qualify.
Do you qualify for VR services?
You must prove to the insurance company that your injuries make returning to your previous occupation impossible. Insurance companies make it difficult to do so as they lose money when you gain benefits, even if you have the proper medical records to show.
You still have a right to file an appeal with the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry. Ensure your appeal is so solid that the insurance companies cannot deny your claims. You have as much right to a full and meaningful life as anybody else.
