If you get hurt on the job, your employer is required by law to pay for workers’ compensation benefits. You could get hurt by:
Workers’ compensation covers some, but not all, stress-related (psychological) injuries caused by your job. Also, workers’ compensation may not cover an injury that is reported to the employer after the worker is told he or she will be terminated or laid off.
They can include:
Report the injury or illness to your employer. Make sure your supervisor or someone else in management knows as soon as possible. If your injury or illness developed gradually (like tendinitis or hearing loss), report it as soon as you learn or believe it was caused by your job. Reporting promptly helps avoid problems and delays in receiving benefits, including medical care. If your employer does not learn about your injury within 30 days, you could lose your right to receive workers’ compensation benefits.
Get emergency treatment if needed. If it’s an emergency, call 911 or go to an emergency room right away. Your employer must make sure that you have access to emergency treatment right away and may tell you where to go for treatment. Tell the medical staff that your injury or illness is job-related.
It depends on whether you tell your employer in writing—before you are injured—the name and address of your personal physician or a medical group. This is called “predesignating.” If you predesignate, you may see your personal physician or the medical group right after you are injured.
How to predesignate
To predesignate your personal physician (if you are eligible to do so), you must notify your employer in writing. You may prepare your own written statement, use optional DWC Form 9783 provided by the Division of Workers’ Compensation, or use a form provided by your employer. To download DWC Form 9783, go to www.dir.ca.gov/dwc/forms.html.
Make sure to include the following information:
You cannot predesignate unless the physician or medical group you predesignate agrees in advance to treat you for job injuries and illnesses. You can document the agreement by having the physician, an employee of the physician, or an employee of the medical group sign the predesignation form, or by some other form of documentation. Include the documentation when you give your employer the predesignation form or statement.
California employers are required by law to have workers' compensation insurance, even if they have only one employee. And, if your employees get hurt or sick because of work, you are required to pay for workers' compensation benefits. Workers' comp insurance provides basic benefits, including medical care, temporary disability benefits, permanent disability benefits, supplemental job displacement benefits and a return-to-work supplement, and death benefits.
The vast majority of workers' compensation claims are resolved without any problems. However, sometimes a disagreement can arise between you and your employee over issues such as whether the injury was sustained on the job or how much in benefits they are entitled to receive.
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Some of the content is from The State Bar of California - Department of Industrial Relations.