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Injuries
on the job are something that affect our members on all too regular basis.
While most of these injuries are thankfully not serious in nature, they
need to be reported just the same. You never know when an injury you
sustained months or even years ago may be re-aggravated and if you failed
to report it back when you were initially injured, you're going to have a
tough time being covered by Workers' Comp.
There
are basic steps you should take if you are ever injured at work, and
remember, no injury is small enough not to report. You may not lose
any time from the job due to the injury, but it should be reported,
regardless of whether you think it merits reporting or not. Please follow
the filing instructions in the green boxes below:
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First
off, file an "Employers' First Report of Occupational Injury
or Illness" form (WC-207) with your Agency. This
should be filled out as soon after the injury as possible,
preferably on the same date as the injury or illness. This report
should be made to your immediate supervisor. If the injury demands
immediate treatment, you should seek it right away.
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The
next step you need to take is to file a "Form 30C"
which is an official written notice of a claim that establishes a
file with the Workers Compensation Commission (WCC). You can get a
Form 30C from any workers' comp office or you can get one by
contacting myself at the Union office. We will either fax or mail
you the form. I cannot urge you strongly enough to file this form as
quickly as possible.
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The
statute of limitations on filing an injury report is ONE YEAR, however it is suggested that you file as soon as
possible after the injury is sustained. The statute of limitations for an
occupational illness is three years.
If your claim is contested
by the State (or more pointedly, its insurance carrier), there will be an
"Informal Hearing" scheduled, usually within a month or so after
receipt of the request. At this hearing, you will need to provide any
medical documentation and statements from any witnesses to corroborate
your claim. Should your claim get denied at that hearing, another hearing
should be requested by you with the workers' compensation district office
that covers the town in which you were injured, not the town in
which you live.
Should
you find it necessary to retain your own attorney to represent you at any
WCC hearings, this is done at your own expense. A WCC Commissioner will
advise you of your right to have an attorney if he/she feels that legal
counsel is advisable. In most cases, attorneys' fees are a percentage of
your settlement.
Just
a word of caution, however, to anyone who thinks that workers' comp is an
"Easy Street" to taking time off from work. Falsely reporting
and collecting on a workers' comp claim is either a Class B or Class C
felony, depending on the monetary amount.
If
you have any questions regarding workers' compensation, contact the human
resources department. at your agency; they will have someone who will
assist you and answer your questions. If you run into trouble at your
agency, or just want to ask a question, please contact Stephen Cox at the
Union office by phone (860-953-2626), or by e-mail, stevecox@protectiveservices.org.
Finally, the
Union is in the process of developing a “Workers' Comp 101”
package that will be mailed out to those who have suffered an on the job
injury. This package will have all the necessary forms, addresses of the
district offices for workers' compensation and other pertinent information
the injured party will need.
More Information To Be Posted
Soon.
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