Q. How should my organization handle employee injuries at the workplace?

A. The first 24 hours is the most critical time period following any employee injury. Here’s a checklist of what to do during this time:

• First, get appropriate medical treatment for your employee. Give your employee a “Letter to Injured Worker” listing your two designated medical providers so he or she can select a treating provider from your list. Have your employee sign and date the letter, give the employee one signed copy and keep one signed copy for your records. If the injury is serious, get the employee to the nearest emergency facility as soon as possible, then give him or her the letter when the emergency has passed.

If possible, take the injured worker to the doctor yourself. Your employee will appreciate your concern and you’ll learn important information about the injury, recommended treatment and the outlook for returning to work.

• Second, investigate the accident to try to determine the cause. You may want to take photographs and make diagrams of the accident scene. Also, try to determine if one or more persons outside your company caused or contributed to the accident. If so, get their names and the name of their employer.

• Next, report the claim. Reporting within 24 hours reduces claims costs substantially and ensures that the entire claims process moves smoothly. Provide all of the information requested on the First Report of Injury form. If you have questions or concerns about the injury, attach a separate explanation page to your report or, if you report the claim via phone, explain it to the representative.

• Your final task during the first 24 hours is to begin planning and preparing for your employee to return to work at modified duty if he or she is unable to return to regular duty. Your insurance carrier will help you with this task, if needed.

• Maintaining contact with all parties involved in the claim is key. Talk to the injured employee regularly about medical treatment, benefits and work-status reports they receive after every medical treatment. Let the doctor know what your employee’s regular job entails and the modified-duty tasks you have available. Make sure you receive work status reports after every appointment with information about your employee’s diagnosis, treatment plan, work restrictions and next appointment.

• Your claims representative can guide you through the claims process, answer your questions and connect you with a return-to-work specialist if needed. Let your claims representative know immediately if:
  • Your employee requests a change of medical provider.
  • Your employee has any change in work status.
  • You receive new information about your employee’s injury.
  • You have questions about the employee’s medical treatment or work restrictions.
  • Your employee expresses concerns when speaking with you.

Proactive claims management results in better outcomes for you and your injured employee, including lower claims costs and getting the employee back to work quickly and safely.

At Nonprofit Resources, our insurance programs offer a wide range of competitively priced packages. Remember, profits earned by Nonprofit Resources are used to support Colorado Nonprofit Association programs.

Please contact us when you are purchasing insurance for your organization. You can reach us via phone at 303-894-0298 or toll-free at 866-537-1142.