When you are injured on-the-job, you may be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. Your employer is required by law to pay you these benefits provided you were actually injured during an accident taking place at workplace hours. There are many benefits that you may be eligible for. These could include Medical Care, which includes pay that helps you recover from an injury or illness caused by work, Temporary Disability Benefits used to pay for lost wages because you are unable to do your job, Permanent Disability Benefits that are applies if you don’t recover completely, and many other options.
There are many options for steps that you can take if you have received a job injury. For instance, you should always take care to report your injury to your employer as soon as possible. You should also receive instant emergency medical treatment if the situation calls for it (BHHC). But there may be one more step to take, which is filling out something known as a DWC 1 Form with the guidance of your employer.
What is the DWC1 Form and Why is it Important?
When you are injured on-the-job, your employer should always give you a claim form within one working day after learning about your injury or illness. If they do not, you can download it from the forms page of the DWC website. You absolutely must fill out the claim form DWC 1. You should always give the completed form to your employer, which will then open up the doors to your workers’ compensation case. It begins the process for finding all benefits that you may qualify for. Here are some of the benefits included:
- A presumption that your injury or illness was work-related if your claim is not accepted or denied within 90 days of giving the form to your employer
- Up to $10,000 treatment under medical treatment care while the claims administrator is reviewing your claim
- An increase in disability payments if they are late
- A way to resolve any disagreements that come up between you and your claims administrator over whether or not the injury actually happened at work and whether or not you will receive permanent disability benefits (DIR)
What happens I your employer refuses to cooperate with you during any part of the process?
Your employer is legally required to cooperate in processing your workers’ compensation claim form. If not, they will be subject to fines and penalties for their inaction. If you believe that your employer is hindering your claim, then you can always bring up a complaint with your state’s workers’ compensation administration.
Take, for instance, an employer that promises the form to an injured worker but then days pass and the employee still hasn’t received the form. Within seven days on a typical schedule, a representative will contact the employer for you and instruct them to cooperate or suffer substantial fines or penalties.
What information must be filled out on a DWC 1 Form?
- Your full name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address, as well as your employer’s
- The date you informed your employer of your injury
- The date you received the claim form
- A detailed description of your injury, the location, and the date and time your injury took place
- Your Social Security Number
- Your signature
When you believe you are eligible for workers’ compensation and must fill out the DWC 1 Form, you should first speak to an experienced attorney from the Rawa Law Group. You may not understand all aspects of the form or what requirements are needed from you. An attorney will be able to help you understand each part of the form. Call today to speak to an attorney that understands your case and can guide you every step of the way! We are there for you.