The Importance of Filing Claims ASAP
With almost all businesses, an employee gets injured, and they fill out an injury form to submit for a claim. With some businesses, this isn’t a top priority. The paperwork to get a claim filled out should be submitted within 24 hours of the injury. There are a few reasons for this that Paul Hohlbein talks about in his article “Why businesses shouldn't delay filing workers' comp claims”. First, Hohlbein talks about how the delay in filing for the claim can lead to an increase in claim cost. This also impedes the investigation process as to what happened. Hohlbein says this can increase the chances of the business being subject to litigation, which no one wants. The second reason discussed in the article is that filing late can increase premiums. Tying back to the first reason discusses, if a claim is late and costs increases, this will also negatively impact the loss history on the claim, which impacts a business’ experience modification rate. Something that businesses can do to reduce this is to have a policy in place for how employees and managers submit these reports, which will help the submission process stay on track. The third thing that Hohlbein mentions in the article is that delaying these reports can put businesses in certain state violations. He mentions these violations could put businesses at risk for fines, penalties, or criminal charges. It’s important to know you are in compliance with both the state and your coverage. For the state, employers should be aware of the regulations when it comes to workers comp, and ensure they have everything they need to avoid any sort of violations. Hohlbein discusses the importance of making sure you protect your business from any violations or potential costs because of submitting a late claim. Employees will be okay in the end, but businesses can face the consequences.
To read the full article, see here:
Hohlbein, P. (2022, November 22). Why businesses shouldn't delay filing workers' comp claims. PropertyCasualty360. Retrieved January 17, 2023, from