If your workplace has five or more employees (including you!) then they are required to have workers’ compensation insurance. There are two major types of insurance that employers in the state of Ohio can choose from, including state-funded insurance and self-insurance. If an employer chooses state-funded insurance, they’re required to pay into a fund the state’s workers’ compensation fund… but what about self-insured employers?
For the nearly one in three employers in Ohio that are self-insured, it’s important to know the differences between these two types of insurances so you can better understand the process of filing a claim.
What’s the key difference between a self-insured employer versus a state-funded employer? If your boss is self-insured, they’re taking on the responsibility of paying for your workers’ comp claim themselves, out of pocket. The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) does not get involved at all. While self-insurance is vastly different than state-funded insurance, it should not affect your rights or your claim in any way.
The bottom line is this: regardless of who is responsible for your injury (and it’s important to know that even if your boss claims that you’re to blame, you can still seek a WC claim!) and regardless the type of injury (whether it’s due to illness or even mental illness, disfigurement, or an otherwise disabling injury), you have rights and you’re entitled to your claim.
The process of filing a claim with an SI includes:
- Immediately reporting the injury and filing the workers’ compensation claim.
- Once filed, the claim will be reviewed and you’ll be notified if it was approved or denied.
- If your claim was denied, or you’re otherwise unhappy with the decision, you have the right to an appeal.
If you suspect that your employer mishandled your claim, you can always appeal to the BWC. If you are injured or sickened at work and you discover that your boss did not have workers’ compensation insurance, don’t panic; you can still get financial compensation for your injury, and your employer will be penalized (and charged for reimbursement for your claim) for non-compliance and the state of Ohio will ensure that you do get payment for your claim.
As a highly skilled and capable lawyer who has been serving the greater Columbus, Ohio area for more than forty years, I have represented numerous employees in their workers’ comp claims. As your attorney, I’ll fight for you relentlessly to ensure that you get the maximum financial restitution for your illness or injury. If you’ve sustained an injury at work, call me TODAY for your free initial consultation at 1 (877) 614-9524 and you can believe me when I say that I’ll Make Them Pay!®
