It is no surprise that small businesses and large corporations alike are notorious for not properly filing or providing their employees with a DWC-1 Form after a work injury. Regardless of the reasons behind why you do not get that information right away, we have you covered. Start with the most basic and crucial piece of the process after a work injury: the DWC-1 form.
Your DWC-1 claim form is your declaration that you have been injured while working, and that you believe you require compensation while you recover. A common misconception is that going to the doctor – something you should doas soon as possible – essentially creates a workers’ comp claim for you. This is not true. You need to get your hands on a DWC-1 claim form, preferably immediately after your accident.
The moment a manager, supervisor, or other employer learns of an employee accident, they must make a DWC-1 form available to the injured employee. If the employee is no longer at the jobsite, such as would be the case if their injury required hospitalization or emergency medical attention, reasonable efforts must be made to get a DWC-1 form to them. In cases where an injury incapacitates the worker, the DWC-1 form may need to be given to their spouse, parent, executor of their will, or attorney.
Filling out a DWC-1 form is straightforward.
On the form, you will need to only fill out the “Employee” section, which asks for basic information:
- Name, date, and address
- Date and location of injury
- Brief description of injury
- List of injured body parts
- Social Security Number
Once you complete the DWC-1 form, it must be returned to your employer. In return, you should be handed the copy that says “Employee’s Temporary Receipt” to keep for your own records.
Filling out and filing the DWC-1 form is just the beginning of your workers’ compensation claim. Depending on the reaction from your employer’s insurance company, you might need to prepare another handful of documents and take additional steps to prove that you deserve compensation.
If you need help, contact our team at Pacific Workers’, The Lawyers for Injured Workers. We have over 65 years of combined legal experience with offices in Tracy, Stockton, Sacramento, Oakland, Concord, and San Jose. Get your free case evaluation today by calling our team at 800 606-6999. You can also chat with us online.