I have decided to spend some time this month blogging about workers’ compensation law in the state of Oregon. I’ll explain your benefits, rights, and responsibilities if you have been hurt on the job. The first issue to address, which clients need to know and which they often ask about right off the bat, is how to file an Oregon workers’ compensation claim. Here is what you should do…
First of all, tell your employer about your injury as soon as possible. Ask your employer for Form 801, which is called the “Report of Job Injury or Illness”. Once you have this form, complete the worker portion then return the form to your employer so that he/she can fill out the employer portion. Also make sure to also get the name of your employer’s workers’ compensation insurer – you will be dealing with them from this moment onward.
Obtain medical treatment from any healthcare provider you like and explicitly tell that provider that you were injured on the job. The first healthcare provider who you contact (if you see several of them over the course of your treatment) will ask you to fill out Form 827: “Worker’s and Physician’s Report for Workers’ Compensation Claims”. Make sure to keep copies of all these forms for your records.
In my next Oregon workers’ compensation post, I will explain how you should go about obtaining medical treatment for your workplace injuries.