When a worker suffers an injury on the job, there are many things that the employer is responsible for. Unfortunately, taking care of these tasks can eat away at the time you have to focus on the daily aspects of running a business.
When a worker alerts their employer to an injury, the employer is responsible for handling the matter in accordance with state law. One of the first things to do is to find out exactly what happened because some injuries, such as those that are self-inflicted, aren’t typically covered under workers’ compensation.
The employer must provide the worker with the appropriate forms to fill out for the formal workers’ compensation claim. Then, the employer has to get the claim filed with the insurance company if there’s one. A self-insured employer would process the claim themselves.
Many aspects of handling a workers’ compensation claim are time sensitive, so employers can’t put off their duties. In some cases, an investigation will have to occur. This is common when it’s thought that there might be a fraudulent aspect to the claim. When there’s an injury that comes from an incident that occurred before witnesses, the investigative process might be short and easy. An injury that comes from an un-witnessed accident might take a little longer.
If you’re busy running and growing your company, you might not have time to deal with the intense responsibilities of a workers’ compensation claim. Fortunately, there is help available for small business owners, including those who are self-insured. If you opt to have someone work with you, be sure they’re familiar with the current workers’ compensation laws, so they can help you to protect your business from fraudulent claims, as well as errors that directly impact your company.
