Workers Compensation in Ohio
You aren’t alone if you wonder how workers’ compensation works.
Workers’ compensation is insurance that provides wage and medical benefits to people who have become ill or injured while at work. How far this coverage goes depends on Ohio state law.
If your injury or illness is eligible for compensation, the insurance carrier should help ease the financial burden.
Learn some of the basic principles of Ohio workers’ compensation insurance and how the process works.
Workers Compensation Statistics in Ohio?
Private companies in Ohio reported over 105,000 nonfatal injuries to the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation in 2014. Statistics provided by the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation for workplace accidents estimate that 30.6% of those reported cases resulted in one or more days of lost work.In addition, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports 110,500 nonfatal accidents for 2019. Employees working for nursing homes experienced injuries three times more often than manufacturing jobs. Which is highly unusual compared to the rest of the country. Based on information in this news release from the U.S. Department of Labor, registered nurses had two to three times fewer incidents than construction or freight laborers.
How Does Workers Comp Work in Ohio?
There is a standard practice to follow when going through the Ohio workers’ compensation process.
The circumstances surrounding the incident that led to the injury are crucial. The injury had to occur during your regular work duties.
Ohio requires any business with one or more employees to have workers’ compensation insurance. Unless they have the authorization to self-insure for occupational injuries or illnesses. Some types of workers are exempt from this, including but not limited to the following: sole proprietors, family farm corporate officers, and partners in an LLC. People who receive workers’ compensation get medical coverage, lost wages, and living maintenance. As well as facial disfigurement repair, and death benefits. The Bureau of Workers’ Compensation typically pays 72% of an individuals’ salary for up to five years.
The steps you take immediately following a workplace incident in Ohio are critical for filing a claim. Follow the following steps to preserve your rights and learn how workers comp works.
Get Medical Attention
After you get injured or feel ill, the first step is to see a doctor. Don’t delay receiving help from a Ohio healthcare professional. Taking too long could not only jeopardize your health, but you run the risk of missing deadlines.
Even if you believe your injury is minor, get a proper medical report detailing the extent of the damage and how it occurred. This step is the top priority in the workers’ compensation claim process. Otherwise, your employer cannot file a claim with the insurance carrier.
You may have regular checkups and testing for weeks or months before a doctor finally connects your illness with your job. Your medical records will become the foundation from which the workers’ comp carrier will launch its investigation.
Generally, your doctor determines if the illness happened because of your work conditions or became aggravated by them. Once they do, see your human resources representative to file a workers’ compensation claim.
File a First Report of Injury
Once you have a medical diagnosis relating your illness or injury to your job, you must file a claim with your employer.
Ohio gives employees injured on the job one year to apply for workers’ compensation. The Bureau of Workers’ Compensation provides further details about how you may have up to ten years to file a claim with the state. After seeking medical attention and informing your employer, complete a form yourself (or ask your supervisor or doctor) and submit it to a managed care organization or the BWC. You should receive a brochure, a notification letter, and an identification card with your claim number.
Contents of the Report
The First Report of Injury will provide the workers’ compensation insurance carrier with the necessary details. They must know your physical injuries, the medical treatment you received, and the facilities that provided it.
Your employer should furnish you with information about the claims process. The adjuster or insurance carrier representative may want to speak to you at some point about the incident and any witnesses.
Ohio has a seven-day waiting period before you can receive payments for workers’ compensation. If your disability lasts longer than two weeks, you can recover the money from that time as a back payment.
Why You Should Hire a Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
Many people believe that the injury claims process is straightforward. While this may be the case in some instances, it may be more of a hassle.
For instance, your employer may question whether you were hurt on the clock or on your own time. The company may also start to question the extent of your injury.
Don’t question how workers comp works and risk losing your claim. Hire a Ohio workers’ comp lawyer and ensure you have an advocate to fight for your rights.
Work With an Experienced Local Lawyer in Ohio
Your health and well-being need to come first. If you are hurt while working or find out an illness you are suffering is the result of your job, you will want to seek compensation.
We can connect you with a local attorney or one across Ohio state lines.
Submit a request online or call us at (866) 345-6784 to find a workers’ compensation lawyer today!
About the Author
Aaron is a professional legal writer with a B.S. in English Education from Southern Illinois University – Carbondale. He has written, published, and edited thousands of legal articles for RequestLegalHelp, which has connected over 5 million people to legal help in the United States.
With over five years of experience writing thousands of legal articles for law firms across the U.S. and Canada, Aaron specializes in covering federal, state, and city-level legal issues ranging from auto accidents to wrongful terminations.
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