DOI (Date of Injury)

The date of injury is the claim’s time-stamp, and Minnesota comp is unusually date-sensitive: the DOI fixes the applicable maximum and minimum rates, the PPD schedule and dollar tiers, the TTD cap, escalation rules, and even which version of the statute governs, for the entire life of the claim, however long benefits continue.

For a specific traumatic event the DOI is obvious. For repetitive or cumulative injuries (carpal tunnel, degenerative backs worn down by decades of labor), the DOI is a legal conclusion (typically tied to when the condition ripened into disability or required medical care), and it can be genuinely disputed, with real money turning on which date wins.

Occupational disease claims and injuries aggravated over multiple employers add another layer, since the DOI can determine which employer and insurer is on the risk at all. If anyone is arguing about your DOI, understand that they are really arguing about rates, caps, and coverage.