On February 27, 2019, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled, in Daniel v. City of Minneapolis, that an employee who was injured while working and received workers compensation benefits may also bring claims for disability discrimination against his employer under the Minnesota Human Rights Act.
The court held that the Workers Compensation Act’s exclusive remedy provision does not bar an injured worker’s claim for disability discrimination under the Minnesota Human Rights Act. Each law provides a distinct cause of action that redresses a discrete type of injury. This decision reverses the court’s previous precedent (in place since 1989) that exclusive remedy barred a Minnesota Human Rights Act suit for discrimination and retaliation related to a workplace injury.
For more information on other exclusive remedy cases monitored by NCCI’s Legal Division, visit previous Court Case Updates under INSIGHTS on ncci.com.
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