Claim Checkup: Do I Need a Lawyer?
Eleven yes/no questions about your Minnesota workers' comp claim. Two minutes. The answer is honest (including "no, not yet"), and we never ask for your name, email, or phone number.
1.Has your claim been denied?
A written denial of the claim itself (not just one bill).
2.Have you received a NOID, or have your checks been stopped or reduced?
A Notice of Intention to Discontinue benefits, or checks that stopped without one.
3.Were you fired, demoted, or threatened after reporting the injury?
4.Are you being asked to sign a Stipulation for Settlement, or attending a settlement conference without a lawyer?
5.Is the insurer saying you were an independent contractor, or was your employer uninsured?
6.Has the insurer scheduled you for an IME?
An "independent" medical exam with a doctor the insurer chose.
7.Has a treatment your doctor recommended been denied or stuck in review?
Surgery, injections, MRI, therapy: anything recommended but not approved.
8.Have you been offered a lump-sum settlement?
9.Do you have a PPD rating that seems low, or that the insurer’s doctor disagrees with?
10.Is a nurse case manager sitting in on your appointments or contacting your doctor without you?
11.Are your checks late, or does the amount look wrong?
Your rate should be about two-thirds of your average weekly wage, within the state maximum.
0 of 11 answered. Your result appears here. No name, email, or phone number required.
How this checkup works
The questions mirror the dispute triggers that actually matter in Minnesota claims: denial, discontinuance (a NOID under Minn. Stat. § 176.238), insurer medical exams, disputed treatment, settlement paperwork, retaliation (Minn. Stat. § 176.82), and coverage fights. If none are present, an attorney has little to add to an admitted claim being paid correctly, so the tool says so.
If flags are present, the result explains why each one matters and links to the deeper guide. The long-form version of this logic is in Do I Need a Workers' Comp Lawyer in Minnesota? An Honest Answer.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I have to give my name or phone number?
- No. The checkup runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is saved, sent, or shared; the result is for you, not for a lead list.
- Will this tell me to hire a lawyer no matter what?
- No. If nothing in your claim is disputed, the result says so and gives you a watch-list instead. A neutral tool that sometimes says "you don’t need one yet" is the entire point.
- What do the green, yellow, and red results mean?
- Green: nothing suggests you need a lawyer right now. Yellow: one or more flags where a free consultation is worth it. Red: a dispute is in motion and deadlines apply; talk to an attorney or the DLI ombudsman promptly.
- Is this legal advice?
- No. It is an educational screen based on the common dispute triggers in Minnesota workers’ comp claims. It cites the relevant statutes so you can verify everything yourself.
General information, not legal advice. Reviewed by Daniel C. Swenson, Minnesota workers' compensation attorney, Robert Wilson & Associates. MN Comp Buddy is a neutral tool platform: results are computed in your browser and never stored or transmitted.