Suffering an injury on the job causes a lot of stress. Depending on the severity of the injury, you could miss quite a bit of time at work. When you are out of work, the bills will begin to pile up, including medical expenses, utility bills and even rent or mortgage payments. You don’t want to find yourself in a precarious financial situation. Here’s how you can file a workers’ compensation claim in California.
Your employer should provide you with a form known as DWC-1 within one day of you reporting an injury. The only section of the form you are required to complete is the employee section. You will need to describe the injury you suffered in as much detail as possible.
Make a copy of the DWC-1 form before you turn it over to your employer. Your employer has one business day to complete the employer section of the form and provide you with a signed copy.
The employer is then required to submit the completed form to the insurance company. The insurance company will review the claim and send you a letter within two weeks of receiving the form.
The employer has 90 days to accept or deny the claim that you submitted. If you fail to hear a decision, you can assume that the claim has been approved. As a rule of thumb, it’s best to continue to seek medical care for your injury while you wait for the claim to be approved.
Now that you know how to file a workers’ compensation claim in Stanislaus, California, you can begin the process today. The sooner you file the claim, the sooner you can begin collecting benefits while out of work.