Millions of employees suffer work-related injuries each year, resulting in countless workers’ comp claims. Whether you’re a Minnesota business owner or an employee, there are benefits associated with understanding the workers’ compensation process. The process begins with a workplace injury and ends when benefits get paid out, but there are several steps that take place between those two events.
An employee gets injured
Workers’ comp provides financial coverage for most injuries or illnesses suffered in the workplace, but every type of injury isn’t eligible for workers’ compensation coverage. If an employee gets injured while impaired by drugs or alcohol, gets injured through willful disobedience of company policy or intentionally harms themselves, they aren’t covered. When an employee suffers an injury or a job-related illness and reports it, the process officially begins.
The employee seeks medical care
Most workers’ compensation companies require the injured employee to seek medical attention. Depending on the workers’ comp coverage terms, the employee may have to pay for immediate medical care out of pocket, but they can get reimbursed later.
The employer files a claim
After receiving notification that an employee suffered an injury and sought medical care, the employer is responsible for filing a claim with their insurance company. This report includes a detailed account of the injury and a claims form that gets filled out by the injured employee.
The insurance company investigates
The workers’ compensation company has the right to investigate any claim. This process typically includes interviews with the employer, the injured party and any witnesses to the accident. Once the investigation gets completed, the company decides whether to approve or deny the claim.
Benefits get paid out
If the company approves the claim, they pay the employee. This payment typically includes lost wages, the cost of medical coverage and any necessary rehabilitation costs.
The workers’ compensation process comes down to these five steps. Whether you’re an employee or an employer, reporting the accident as quickly as possible makes the process much smoother.
