Insurance Frequently Asked Questions: Workers' Compensation Insurance

The employer must take the following actions to initiate the claim:

• For serious, life-threatening injuries, call the ambulance first! 
• For minor injuries, collect information from the employee about the accident. Get a good description of what happened, the date and time, where it happened, how it happened, and the injury details.
• Report to your insurer by calling your insurance company or completing the First Notice of Injury report via the carrier’s website, or send via fax or email.  Claim contact information and First Notice of Injury forms are included with your policy.
• The employer should direct the injured employees to the nearest approved medical provider. Most insurance companies have an approved list of medical providers somewhat like an HMO plan, you can find list on carrier's site.  If the employee can’t drive, have someone drive the employee to get medical care.
• After employer files claim with their insurance company, the company will report the claim to the State as required by statute.
• The insurance adjuster assigned will contact the employee and coordinate medical care needed to facilitate the employee returning to work and set up payment of lost wages, if the employee is unable to return to work. The adjuster will give the employee the statutory required “Injured Employee” information packet.

Worker’s Compensation Insurance pays for all state mandated benefits, including medical expenses, a percentage of lost wages, replacement services for daily self- care, and even household chores if the employee is unable to provide for themselves. Most states include Employers Liability coverage in the Workers Compensation policy. Employers' liability protects the employer from lawsuits claiming an employee’s injury occurred due to the negligence of the employer.

Any company with one or more full-time employees is eligible to purchase a Workers Compensation policy. Depending on the number of employees, payroll amounts, the type of work performed and past loss history, some policies are more easily placed than others.

Coverage is statutory, meaning each state could have different laws governing the requirements for when Workers Compensation is mandatory. The fines and legal charges can be quite serious if your company does not comply. You should check your state’s requirements or give us or your agent a call to assist.