Employers know that it is important to take all necessary measures to help keep their employees, customers, and clients safe in the workplace. These measures include actions such as keeping equipment in good repair, conducting regular safety training and forming safety committees. Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of even the most diligent employer, workplace injuries will occur. If this happens at your place of business, it is important to make sure you properly document the injuries.
When an employee is injured on the job, it is that employee’s responsibility to report that injury to the employer. Once that takes place, the employer is required to then provide the employee with a claim form. The employee fills out the form and returns it to you. The employer then completes the form and submits it to the workers’ compensation insurance provider, which starts the claim. Within fourteen days, the insurance company will send you a notice about the status of the claim and whether or not it has been accepted. Employers need to be aware that within one day of receiving a claim form from the employee, the employer is required to authorize medical treatment under industrial guidelines, up to a maximum of $10,000 while the claim is being investigated. In other words, the employer cannot wait until the investigation has been completed before providing medical treatment funding to the injured employee.
The employer should take other steps to document the injury and the incident as much as possible, and should not rely exclusively on the injured employee’s account of the incident. An employer should take steps to promptly obtain witness statements from any other employees who may have witnessed the injury. If the employer has surveillance cameras, the footage should be reviewed, and copies of the recording provided promptly to the insurance provider. Employers can also gather information about the injury by talking to others who commonly perform the same or similar tasks as the injured employee. These other workers can sometimes provide important information about whether the injury likely occurred in the way explained by the injured worker and point out other problem areas in the department that can be rectified to reduce the chances of future injuries.
We have extensive experience helping our clients understand the workers’ compensation process and the documentation your business will need to complete. Call us today for a consultation.