Filing a Claim if You’re Injured on the Job

Workers’ compensation insurance is your path to get treatment for your injury and get back to work as soon as possible. We’ll walk you through the process of filing a claim and give you resources for more information.

Work with your employer

If you haven’t yet done so, notify your employer of the injury. It’s the best way to get started. Your employer should file paperwork with us to open your claim. If it helps, you can send them the State Fund Claim Kit that will support them through the process.

If working with your employer is not possible, you have an alternative.

The Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) will walk you through the process of how to file a claim form and submitting it to your employer.

Your employer should complete their section of the claim form, and submit it to us. You should then receive a copy of the claim form, keep it for your records.
Once the claim is filed, we will mail you a letter telling you the status of your claim within 14 days. If you don’t receive a letter, contact your claims adjuster or our customer support at (888) 782-8338.
The DWC also has resources to assist you with this process if needed. You can call the DWC at (800) 736-7401 or visit the Information and Assistance Unit to get contact information for people at your local DWC office.

Get treatment

Submitting the completed claim form to your employer opens the workers’ compensation case and starts the process for providing benefits, which includes medical treatment. Your employer must authorize treatment within one day of receiving the claim form from you. You do not need to wait for your claim to be accepted by State Fund before getting treatment and should get treatment as soon as possible.

Use our Provider Finder to find an in network doctor to begin treatment. Beginning treatment early can reduce your recovery time. Please note, if the need for medical treatment is an emergency, please go directly to the nearest emergency medical provider.

What’s next?

After your claim is filed, it may be accepted, delayed, or denied depending on the facts of your case. These videos will help you understand each scenario and what you can do to aid in the process:

Understanding Your Workers’ Compensation Claim – This video covers the basics of the claim process and the forms you will need to complete.
Delayed Claim – Prior to accepting or denying a claim, we may need more information. During this information gathering period the claim is in delay. You may qualify for limited covered medical treatment while your claim is being considered if you have submitted your claim form.

As your claim is being processed, your active participation is crucial. You’ll want to focus on your recovery, keep the lines of communication between us, your employer, and your medical providers open, and, when the time is right, focus on returning to work. These resources will help you with these steps:

Get Treatment – Learn about urgent care, primary treating physicians, specialists, and our Provider Finder.
Manage Your Claim – Find out what you can do to manage your claim effectively.
Workers’ Comp Benefits – Learn about the benefits that may be available to you to help you financially.
Returning to Work– Learn about the process of returning to work, including modified duty and what happens if your employer has no work available to you.