NWCDN Members regularly post articles and summary judgements in workers’ compensations law in your state.
Select a state from the dropdown menu below to scroll through the state specific archives for updates and opinions on various workers’ compensation laws in your state.
Contact information for NWCDN members is also located on the state specific links in the event you have additional questions or your company is seeking a workers’ compensation lawyer in your state.
Infectious diseases such as COVID-19 can be compensable in Minnesota as either a personal injury or occupational disease in certain situations. CWK attorneyWhitney Teel did a deep dive into the issue during the H1N1 outbreak in 2009, and the caselaw is applicable to the current COVID-19 outbreak.
The quick answer is that it is possible for COVID-19 to be a compensable workers’ compensation injury in Minnesota, but as always, the burden of proof is on the Employee. With infectious diseases, such as polio, influenza, tuberculosis, or COVID-19, proving point of contraction is critical. Employers are encouraged to let their workers’ compensation insurer know if an employee tests positive for COVID-19.
To read Whitney's research article on this topic, click the link below:
https://cwk-law.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/COVID-19-Research.pdf