About the Court

 

The Minnesota Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals (WCCA) was created as an independent agency of the executive branch of state government by Chapter 175A of the Minnesota Statutes. The court consists of five judges appointed to six-year terms by the Governor and confirmed by the state Senate. The Governor designates one of the five as the Chief Judge. The Chief Judge is responsible for the administration of the court.

The WCCA has exclusive, statewide authority to review workers' compensation cases decided by compensation judges at the Office of Administrative Hearings and certain cases decided by the Workers' Compensation Division at the Department of Labor and Industry. A panel of three or five judges decides each appeal. A written decision must be issued within 90 days after a case has been assigned to a panel. The judges review the evidentiary record created at the initial hearing, preside over oral arguments, conduct legal research, decide the legal and factual issues appealed by the parties, and issue written orders, decisions and memoranda. Decisions are written to inform the parties and the public of the bases for the court's decisions and to create a body of law interpreting and applying Minnesota workers' compensation laws. Decisions of the WCCA are appealable directly to the Minnesota Supreme Court.

The mission of the WCCA is to produce high quality and consistent decisions in a timely manner to ensure the quick and efficient delivery of workers' compensation benefits to qualified injured workers at a reasonable cost to employers.

Please note that beginning January 1, 2022, all visitors to the Minnesota Judicial Center, which houses the Minnesota Workers’ Compensation Court of Appeals, will be required to pass through security screening. Please see the Minnesota Judicial Center Security Screening Policy for more information.  The WCCA adheres to the Rules of Decorum, Policy Number 506(p) of the Minnesota Judicial Center.  

Workers' Compensation Decisions

Written decisions issued by the WCCA are available on-line. The Workers' Compensation Decisions (W.C.D.) on-line archive currently includes decisions issued by the court from 1999 to the present. These decisions include both published and unpublished cases, but, as a general rule, do not include administrative orders. The case archive also includes Minnesota Supreme Court opinions issued in cases appealed from the WCCA, both summary affirmances and written opinions. Click on the Decisions link to go to the search page. More information about the Workers Compensation Decisions on-line archive is available by clicking on the FAQs link under Decisions.