No employee wants to get hurt, but many suffer injuries from accidents and other mishaps. An Arizona worker might wish to file for workers’ compensation benefits, hoping to receive financial support to deal with their days of missed work. Knowing the steps in the workers’ compensation process may give an employee an idea about what to expect.

The workers’ comp process

Filing a worker’s compensation claim starts with reporting the injury and incident to an employer without any delays. Someone who does not tell their management officials that they have suffered an injury could run into problems if they try to file a claim later. Also, victims must submit themselves to a medical examination to determine the extent of their injuries and the appropriate recovery.

The employer has duties to follow in the process, including filing the first report of injury (FROI) with the appropriate entity. After the successful filing of the FROI, the employee should receive an informational packet.

The workers’ comp claim will eventually get approved or denied. The parties then come up with a unique return to work (RTW) plan, leading to the claim’s closing.

Employee concerns

Problems may arise during the process. Unfortunately, even those suffering from severe injuries and resulting stress may need to provide evidence when an employer creates doubts about their workers’ compensation claims. The employer does not approve or deny the claim, as it will go to the entity responsible for paying the benefits.

A denied claim does not necessarily mean the end of the process. The worker could overcome the denial with a successful appeal. The appeal involves requesting a hearing with an administrative law judge.