How do I File for Workers Compensation in Cleveland, Ohio?
Ohio law states that any employer with one or more full- or part-time employees must carry worker's compensation insurance to cover the expenses associated with occupational disease, work-related disability of more than seven days, injury sustained while on the job or death. In the event of job-related injury in Cleveland, an employee has two years from the date of injury to file for worker's compensation before the statute of limitations expires.
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Instructions
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Notify the employer of injury as soon as possible. For legal purposes, see the Human Resources department and ask to file an incident report. If the employer has no HR, type up a description of the incident including where, when and how it happened and provide details of the resulting injury. Give a copy to the employer and keep a copy for your own records.
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See a doctor, letting him know it is a work-related injury. Ohio law allows for workers to choose their own doctor, but the physician must have certification through the Ohio Bureau of Worker's Compensation (BWC) and be willing to accept payment through the Ohio worker's compensation system. To determine whether your physician is BWC certified, call the Cleveland BWC at 216-787-3050.
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Fill out the First Report of an Injury (FROI) form. The FROI is available from your employer, on the BWC website (where it can be filled out and submitted online) or at the BWC office. You will need to provide your contact information, employment details, incident and injury information and sign the medical release section. Give the FROI to your physician to fill out the medical section.
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Forward the completed form to the employer or the employer's managed care organization (MCO). The employer or MCO will complete the final section of the form and send it to the Cleveland BWC office for processing. If unsure of the employer's MCO, contact BWC at 1-800-OHIOBWC and follow the prompts, or use the MCO on BWC's website.
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Tips & Warnings
It is best to file a FROI as soon as possible from the date of injury so that important details are easily remembered.
Once a claim is filed, an employee has only 17 days to provide medical information to the BWC or the claim will be denied for lack of documentation. For this reason, be sure the employer or physician has not filed a claim on the employee's behalf.
References
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