Risk & Business Magazine Spectrum Insurance Spring 2017 | Page 26

WORKERS’ COMPENSATION
Reporting Workers’
Compensation Claims
W
orkers’ compensation
laws are often
misunderstood
because they can vary
significantly among
states. If your employee reports an injury
and you are unsure of what steps to take,
you are not alone. However, regardless of
your company’s geographical location, the
first two days after an employee is injured
on the job are always the most important.
It is always important to act quickly
and take action immediately for legal
reasons, but also because studies show
that the faster you initiate the workers’
compensation process after an injury, the
lower the ultimate cost of your claims.
Additionally, waiting more than 48 hours
after an incident occurs gives the injured
party and any witness time to forget
crucial details about what happened.
It also means employees’ recollections
may become skewed by discussions with
outside parties, like an attorney, friends,
or relatives.
You can help protect your company and
save money by taking the following steps
in the 48 hours after an employee reports
an injury:
surrounding environment. Speak
with employees who witnessed the
event or who work in close proximity
to where the incident occurred.
REFER THE EMPLOYEE FOR MEDICAL
ATTENTION
•
•
If the injury is an emergency, seek
immediate care for the employee.
State workers’ compensation laws
allow the employee to see any
doctor in an urgent situation. If the
circumstance is not an emergency,
refer the employee to a medical
provider within your company’s
network. When possible, have a
company representative accompany
the injured employee to the
medical practitioner to assist and to
communicate the employer’s sincere
intentions to have the employee back
to work in a light or transitional
duty role when it is possible to
make the appropriate and necessary
accommodations.
When possible, ask the employee to
re-enact how the accident occurred.
This will help you to take steps so
that such accidents can be avoided
in the future. It may also help you
to identify claims that might be
questionable or fraudulent.
• Be empathetic and yet thorough,
and also be sure to gather consistent
information for all incidents.
IMMEDIATELY ENSURE THE INJURY OR
ACCIDENT WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN
•
Never prevent an employee from
getting medical attention, even if you
feel the injury is not serious.
PERFORM AN ASSESSMENT OR
ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION
•
•
Visit the place where the injury
occurred and make notes of the
After investigating the site, take
necessary steps to make certain
the incident will not reoccur. For
example, block off the area in
question if there looks to be a spill or
other unsafe situation.
REPORT THE INJURY
•
Several reports must typically be
generated when an injury occurs
in the workplace. Complete a First
HOW YOU RESPOND IN THE DAYS
IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING A WORKPLACE
INJURY IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT NOT
ONLY FOR CLAIM MANAGEMENT BUT ALSO
FOR PREVENTING FUTURE ACCIDENTS.
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