Most people understand that there are time limits in almost all types of legal cases, ranging from prosecution of domestic assault to suing for breach of contract. Workers’ compensation is no exception. There are time limits that need to be observed at many stages of the workers’ compensation case. As an employer, you need to be familiar with some of these time limits to make sure you are properly observing the law and understand your rights and responsibilities.
The first time limit you should be aware of concerns the reporting of the injury. When your employee sustains a work-related injury, he or she is obligated by law to report that injury to you. The employer is obligated to report the injury to the employer within thirty days of sustaining the injury or becoming aware of the injury. The employee needs to fill out a DWC-1 claim form providing details about the injury.
Another essential time limit to be aware of is that reporting an injury to the employer is not the same as filing a claim for workers’ compensation benefits. Under California labor code 4906(g), the injured employee is obligated to file an Application for Adjudication of Claim and Declaration with the workers’ compensation appeals board to start the case. The worker must file this application within one year of the job-related injury or illness. If the employee fails to meet this time limit, he or she may lose the right to file a case at all. Once the case is commenced, there is no time limit on how long the case can last. In the optimal circumstance, the procedure will go smoothly and it can be concluded without too much trouble. The increasing use of alternative dispute resolution helps conclude cases quicker and with more efficiency than in the past. If no settlement can be reached, however, the case can last for months or even longer.
There are some limited circumstances when the statute of limitations may be extended. One common situation when this may happen is where the injured employee is under eighteen at the time he or she is injured on the job. In that case, the statute of limitations is “tolled” and does not start to run until the injured employee turns eighteen. Another common exception is for repetitive stress injuries, such as carpal tunnel syndrome. In those types of cases, the statute of limitations starts to run from the date the employee became aware of the injury and also became aware the injury was a result of employment.
We have extensive experience with helping our clients understand the necessary procedures in workers’ compensation case. Call us today to discuss your case and what we can do to help.