Obtaining Your Compensation Benefits

You must report your injury to your supervisor or employer immediately. You will be given a form titled "Employee's Claim for Workers' Compensation Benefits" (DWC-1 claim form) if your injury requires medical treatment beyond "first aid" or it results in lost wages beyond the date of injury. ("First aid" means any one-time treatment of minor scratches, cuts, burns, splinters or other minor work injury.) A claim form may also be obtained from the Information and Assistance Office (for address/phone number see "Dispute Resolution").

The claim form will ask what, where, when and how the injury happened. The key to insuring your rights is prompt reporting of the injury. Your Department or LLNL Workers' Compensation Office, along with Applied Risk Management, will see that you get medical help right away, and make sure the necessary reports are filed.

Remember, prompt reporting is the key. Benefits are automatic, but nothing can happen until your employer knows about the injury, no matter how slight.