STATE OF CALIFORNIA - DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS
Division of Workers' Compensation
Notice to Employees--Injuries Caused By Work
You may be entitled to workers' compensation benefits if you are injured or become ill because of your job. Workers' compensation covers
most work-related physical or mental injuries and illnesses. An injury or illness can be caused by one event (such as hurting your back in a fall)
or by repeated exposures (such as hurting your wrist from doing the same motion over and over).
Benefits. Workers' compensation benefits include:
•
Medical Care: Doctor visits, hospital services, physical therapy, lab tests, x-rays, and medicines that are reasonably necessary to treat your
injury. You should never see a bill. There is a limit on some medical services.
•
Temporary Disability (TD) Benefits: Payments if you lose wages while recovering. For most injuries, TD benefits may not be paid for
more than 104 weeks within five years from the date of injury.
•
Permanent Disability (PD) Benefits: Payments if your injury causes a permanent disability.
•
Supplemental Job Displacement Benefit: A nontransferable voucher payable to a state approved school if your injury arises on or after
1/1/04 and results in a permanent disability that prevents you from returning to work within 60 days after TD ends, and your employer does
not offer you modified or alternative work.
•
Death Benefits: Paid to dependents of a worker who dies from a work-related injury or illness.
Naming Your Own Physician Before Injury or Illness (Predesignation). You may be able to choose the doctor who will treat you for a job
injury or illness. If eligible, you must tell your employer, in writing, the name and address of your personal physician or medical group before
you are injured and your physician must agree to treat you for your work injury. For instructions, see the written information about workers'
compensation that your employer is required to give to new employees.
If You Get Hurt:
Get Medical Care. If you need emergency care, call 911 for help immediately from the hospital, ambulance, fire department or police
1.
department. If you need first aid, contact your employer.
Report Your Injury. Report the injury immediately to your supervisor or to an employer representative. Don't delay. There are time
2.
limits. If you wait too long, you may lose your right to benefits. Your employer is required to provide you a claim form within one working
day after learning about your injury. Within one working day after you file a claim form, your employer shall authorize the provision of all
treatment, consistent with the applicable treating guidelines, for your alleged injury and shall be liable for up to ten thousand dollars
($10,000) in treatment until the claim is accepted or rejected.
See Your Primary Treating Physician (PTP). This is the doctor with overall responsibility for treating your injury or illness. If you
3.
predesignated by naming your personal physician or medical group before injury (see above), you may see him or her for treatment in
certain circumstances. Otherwise, your employer has the right to select the physician who will treat you for the first 30 days. You may be
able to switch to a doctor of your choice after 30 days. Different rules apply if your employer offers a Health Care Organization (HCO) or
has a Medical Provider Network (MPN). You should receive information from your employer if you are covered by an HCO or a MPN.
Contact your employer for more information.
Medical Provider Networks. Your employer may be using a MPN, which is a selected network of health care providers to provide
4.
treatment to workers injured on the job. If your employer is using a MPN, a MPN notice should be posted next to this poster to
explain how to use the MPN. You can request a copy of this notice by calling the MPN number below. If you have predesignated a
personal physician prior to your work injury, then you may receive treatment from your predesignated doctor. If you have not
predesignated and your employer is using a MPN, you are free to choose an appropriate provider from the MPN list after the first medical
visit directed by your employer. If you are treating with a non-MPN doctor for an existing injury, you may be required to change to a
doctor within the MPN. For more information, see the MPN contact information below:
Current MPN’s toll free number: __________________MPN website: _______________________________________________________
MPN Effective Date_____________ Current MPN’s address: ______________________________________________________________
Discrimination. It is illegal for your employer to punish or fire you for having a work injury or illness, for filing a claim, or testifying in
another person's workers' compensation case. If proven, you may receive lost wages, job reinstatement, increased benefits, and costs and
expenses up to limits set by the state.
Questions? Learn more about workers' compensation by reading the information that your employer is required to give you at time of hire. If
you have questions, see your employer or the claims administrator (who handles workers' compensation claims for your employer):
Claims Administrator ________________________________________________________________Phone _______________________
Workers’ compensation insurer _______________________________________________________ (Enter “self-insured” if appropriate)
Policy Expiration Date ____________________
If the workers’ compensation policy has expired, contact a Labor Commissioner at the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE).
You can also get free information from a State Division of Workers' Compensation Information & Assistance Officer. The nearest Information
& Assistance Officer can be found at location: ________________________________________________________________ or by calling
toll-free (800) 736-7401. Learn more information about DWC and DLSE online: or
False claims and false denials. Any person who makes or causes to be made any knowingly false or fraudulent material statement or material
representation for the purpose of obtaining or denying workers' compensation benefits or payments is guilty of a felony and may be fined and
imprisoned.
Your employer may not be liable for the payment of workers' compensation benefits for any injury that arises from your voluntary
participation in any off-duty, recreational, social, or athletic activity that is not part of your work-related duties.
DWC 7 (6/10)