Minnesota is more forgiving on timing than many states, but it still has limits. Telling your employer within 14 days is treated as on time. Wait past 180 days and benefits are generally barred, with only narrow exceptions.
The bigger window is for the claim itself. You have three years after the Department receives the written injury report and never more than six years from the accident. A compensation judge decides disputes and the Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals reviews those decisions.
Minnesota weekly checks: the rate, the cap and the floor
Temporary total disability (TTD) is the check you get while a doctor keeps you fully off work. It equals two-thirds of your weekly wage at the time of injury and it can run for up to 130 weeks.
The state resets the limits each fall. For injuries from October 1, 2026, the maximum is $1,594.08 a week and the minimum is $318.82. If you earned less than that minimum, you get your actual wage instead.
The first three calendar days are not paid. Stay off ten calendar days or longer and those days are paid as well. For an estimate built from your own pay stub, use our workers comp pay calculator.
| Weekly check (temporary total disability) | two-thirds (66 2/3%) of your weekly wage at the time of injury |
|---|---|
| Weekly cap, injuries from October 1, 2026 | $1,594.08 |
| Weekly minimum, injuries from October 1, 2026 (or your actual wage if lower) | $318.82 |
| Waiting period | first 3 calendar days unpaid; paid from day one if you are off ten calendar days or longer |
| How long temporary total checks can last | up to 130 weeks |
Dates to put on your calendar in Minnesota
- Report to your employer: within 14 days counts as timely. The outer limit is 180 days.
- Bring a claim: within three years after your written injury report reaches the Department and no later than six years after the accident.
- Appeal a compensation judge's decision: within 30 days of being served with it, to the Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals.
Notice that the three-year clock starts with paperwork reaching the Department, not with the injury. Report in writing and keep a copy of what you hand in.
When the insurer denies or stops your Minnesota checks
A denial letter states the insurer's position. It is not a ruling by a judge. If your checks stopped instead, the reason given on the notice matters and so does the date it arrived. Our guide to stopped payments covers common reasons and our letter explainer turns the wording into plain English.
The Department of Labor and Industry also runs a workers' comp hotline. You can reach it at 800-342-5354, press 3. Its rate information page lists the yearly benefit limits.
How a Minnesota workers comp lawyer gets paid
Minnesota limits the fee by statute. An attorney can charge 20% of the first $275,000 of compensation awarded to you. Because the cap is tied to compensation awarded, the fee depends on what you recover rather than on hours billed. Ask any attorney you speak with to put in writing how the fee will be figured on your case.
People also ask
How long can Minnesota pay me for being off work?
Temporary total checks can last up to 130 weeks. Keep every notice the insurer sends, since each one can change your benefits.
I told my boss a month after I got hurt. Is it too late?
Not automatically. Minnesota treats notice within 14 days as on time and benefits are generally barred only after 180 days. Put your report in writing now.