Section 176.101 Compensation Schedule

Statutes > Minnesota Statutes > Chapters 175 - 186 Labor, Industry > Chapter 176 Workers' Compensation > Section 176.101 Compensation Schedule

176.101 COMPENSATION SCHEDULE.

Subdivision 1.Temporary total disability.

(a) For injury producing temporary total disability, the compensation is 66-2/3 percent of the weekly wage at the time of injury.

(b)(1) Commencing on October 1, 2008, the maximum weekly compensation payable is $850 per week.

(2) The Workers' Compensation Advisory Council may consider adjustment increases and make recommendations to the legislature.

(c) The minimum weekly compensation payable is $130 per week or the injured employee's actual weekly wage, whichever is less.

(d) Temporary total compensation shall be paid during the period of disability subject to the cessation and recommencement conditions in paragraphs (e) to (l).

(e) Temporary total disability compensation shall cease when the employee returns to work. Except as otherwise provided in section 176.102, subdivision 11, temporary total disability compensation may only be recommenced following cessation under this paragraph, paragraph (h), or paragraph (j) prior to payment of 130 weeks of temporary total disability compensation and only as follows:

(1) if temporary total disability compensation ceased because the employee returned to work, it may be recommenced if the employee is laid off or terminated for reasons other than misconduct if the layoff or termination occurs prior to 90 days after the employee has reached maximum medical improvement. Recommenced temporary total disability compensation under this clause ceases when any of the cessation events in paragraphs (e) to (l) occurs; or

(2) if temporary total disability compensation ceased because the employee returned to work or ceased under paragraph (h) or (j), it may be recommenced if the employee is medically unable to continue at a job due to the injury. Where the employee is medically unable to continue working due to the injury, temporary total disability compensation may continue until any of the cessation events in paragraphs (e) to (l) occurs following recommencement. If an employee who has not yet received temporary total disability compensation becomes medically unable to continue working due to the injury after reaching maximum medical improvement, temporary total disability compensation shall commence and shall continue until any of the events in paragraphs (e) to (l) occurs following commencement. For purposes of commencement or recommencement under this clause only, a new period of maximum medical improvement under paragraph (j) begins when the employee becomes medically unable to continue working due to the injury. Temporary total disability compensation may not be recommenced under this clause and a new period of maximum medical improvement does not begin if the employee is not actively employed when the employee becomes medically unable to work. All periods of initial and recommenced temporary total disability compensation are included in the 130-week limitation specified in paragraph (k).

(f) Temporary total disability compensation shall cease if the employee withdraws from the labor market. Temporary total disability compensation may be recommenced following cessation under this paragraph only if the employee reenters the labor market prior to 90 days after the employee reached maximum medical improvement and prior to payment of 130 weeks of temporary total disability compensation. Once recommenced, temporary total disability ceases when any of the cessation events in paragraphs (e) to (l) occurs.

(g) Temporary total disability compensation shall cease if the total disability ends and the employee fails to diligently search for appropriate work within the employee's physical restrictions. Temporary total disability compensation may be recommenced following cessation under this paragraph only if the employee begins diligently searching for appropriate work within the employee's physical restrictions prior to 90 days after maximum medical improvement and prior to payment of 130 weeks of temporary total disability compensation. Once recommenced, temporary total disability compensation ceases when any of the cessation events in paragraphs (e) to (l) occurs.

(h) Temporary total disability compensation shall cease if the employee has been released to work without any physical restrictions caused by the work injury.

(i) Temporary total disability compensation shall cease if the employee refuses an offer of work that is consistent with a plan of rehabilitation filed with the commissioner which meets the requirements of section 176.102, subdivision 4, or, if no plan has been filed, the employee refuses an offer of gainful employment that the employee can do in the employee's physical condition. Once temporary total disability compensation has ceased under this paragraph, it may not be recommenced.

(j) Temporary total disability compensation shall cease 90 days after the employee has reached maximum medical improvement, except as provided in section 176.102, subdivision 11, paragraph (b). For purposes of this subdivision, the 90-day period after maximum medical improvement commences on the earlier of: (1) the date that the employee receives a written medical report indicating that the employee has reached maximum medical improvement; or (2) the date that the employer or insurer serves the report on the employee and the employee's attorney, if any. Once temporary total disability compensation has ceased under this paragraph, it may not be recommenced except if the employee returns to work and is subsequently medically unable to continue working as provided in paragraph (e), clause (2).

(k) Temporary total disability compensation shall cease entirely when 130 weeks of temporary total disability compensation have been paid, except as provided in section 176.102, subdivision 11, paragraph (b). Notwithstanding anything in this section to the contrary, initial and recommenced temporary total disability compensation combined shall not be paid for more than 130 weeks, regardless of the number of weeks that have elapsed since the injury, except that if the employee is in a retraining plan approved under section 176.102, subdivision 11, the 130-week limitation shall not apply during the retraining, but is subject to the limitation before the plan begins and after the plan ends.

(l) Paragraphs (e) to (k) do not limit other grounds under law to suspend or discontinue temporary total disability compensation provided under this chapter.

(m) Once an employee has been paid 52 weeks of temporary total compensation, the employer or insurer must notify the employee in writing of the 130-week limitation on payment of temporary total compensation. A copy of this notice must also be filed with the department.

Subd. 2.Temporary partial disability.

(a) In all cases of temporary partial disability the compensation shall be 66-2/3 percent of the difference between the weekly wage of the employee at the time of injury and the wage the employee is able to earn in the employee's partially disabled condition. This compensation shall be paid during the period of disability except as provided in this section, payment to be made at the intervals when the wage was payable, as nearly as may be, and subject to the maximum rate for temporary total compensation.

(b) Temporary partial compensation may be paid only while the employee is employed, earning less than the employee's weekly wage at the time of the injury, and the reduced wage the employee is able to earn in the employee's partially disabled condition is due to the injury. Except as provided in section 176.102, subdivision 11, paragraphs (b) and (c), temporary partial compensation may not be paid for more than 225 weeks, or after 450 weeks after the date of injury, whichever occurs first.

(c) Temporary partial compensation must be reduced to the extent that the wage the employee is able to earn in the employee's partially disabled condition plus the temporary partial disability payment otherwise payable under this subdivision exceeds 500 percent of the statewide average weekly wage.

Subd. 2a.Permanent partial disability.

(a) Compensation for permanent partial disability is as provided in this subdivision. Permanent partial disability must be rated as a percentage of the whole body in accordance with rules adopted by the commissioner under section 176.105. The percentage determined pursuant to the rules must be multiplied by the corresponding amount in the following table:

Impairment rating		Amount
(percent)
less than 5.5	$	75,000
5.5 to less than 10.5		80,000
10.5 to less than 15.5		85,000
15.5 to less than 20.5		90,000
20.5 to less than 25.5		95,000
25.5 to less than 30.5		100,000
30.5 to less than 35.5		110,000
35.5 to less than 40.5		120,000
40.5 to less than 45.5		130,000
45.5 to less than 50.5		140,000
50.5 to less than 55.5		165,000
55.5 to less than 60.5		190,000
60.5 to less than 65.5		215,000
65.5 to less than 70.5		240,000
70.5 to less than 75.5		265,000
75.5 to less than 80.5		315,000
80.5 to less than 85.5		365,000
85.5 to less than 90.5		415,000
90.5 to less than 95.5		465,000
95.5 up to and including 100		515,000

An employee may not receive compensation for more than a 100 percent disability of the whole body, even if the employee sustains disability to two or more body parts.

(b) Permanent partial disability is payable upon cessation of temporary total disability under subdivision 1. If the employee requests payment in a lump sum, then the compensation must be paid within 30 days. This lump-sum payment may be discounted to the present value calculated up to a maximum five percent basis. If the employee does not choose to receive the compensation in a lump sum, then the compensation is payable in installments at the same intervals and in the same amount as the employee's temporary total disability rate on the date of injury. Permanent partial disability is not payable while temporary total compensation is being paid.