Workers Compensation in Ohio
You aren’t alone if you wonder how workers comp works. Workers’ compensation is a type of insurance that provides wage and medical benefits to people who have become ill or injured while at work. The extent of workers’ comp coverage an employer is required to carry is governed by Ohio state law. Thus, in trying to figure out how workers comp works, it helps to understand the laws on the books in the state where the business operates. If the injury or illness a worker sustains is eligible for compensation, the insurance carrier should help ease the financial burden the illness or injury created on the worker. 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. Unfortunately, it begins with you getting sick or injured on the job. The circumstances surrounding the incident that led to the injury are especially crucial. The injury had to occur during the course of your regular work duties. It could also occur while you were performing a special task at the request of your boss.
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 purposes of filing a claim for compensation. 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 an Ohio healthcare professional. This could not only jeopardize your health, but you run the risk of missing time-sensitive deadlines in the workers’ compensation process.
Even if you believe that your injury is minor, get a proper medical report detailing the extent of the damage and how it occurred. This is the first step in the workers’ compensation claim process. Absent a medical report, your employer cannot file a claim with the insurance carrier.
When dealing with a job-related illness, the symptoms and diagnosis may not happen right away. You may find yourself attending regular checkups and testing for weeks or months before a doctor finally associates your illness with your job. All of your medical records will become the foundation from which the workers’ comp carrier will launch its investigation. Your doctor may make the determination that the illness is the result of your work conditions or 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. This is the next important phase of how Ohio workers comp works.
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.
The first report of an on-the-job injury or illness will provide the workers’ compensation insurance carrier with the details of the events leading up to the injury. In this report, you will provide your physical injuries, the medical treatment you received, and the facilities that provided it. It’s always a good idea to submit a copy of the doctor’s report with the report of injury.
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 possible witnesses to the event. 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
In learning how Ohio workers comp works, many people believe that the injury claims process is straightforward. While this may be the case in some instances, in others, 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. There may even arise pay disputes and long-term care dictated by the doctor. Don’t question how workers comp works and risk losing your claim. Hire an Ohio workers’ comp lawyer and ensure you have an advocate to fight for your rights as a victim.
Work With an Experienced Local Lawyer in Ohio
Your health and wellbeing 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. Since the workers’ compensation claims process may be tricky, you should consider getting a local attorney well versed in how to deal with it. We can even help you connect with an attorney across Ohio state lines. They can guide you while you continue to learn how workers comp works.
Submit a request online or call us today at (866) 345-6784 to get in touch with an experienced lawyer in your area!
