On Your Side After An Injury

What You Need To Know About Workers’ Comp In Missouri

Report your injury immediately to your employer. Failing to report your injury to your employer within 30 days may jeopardize your ability to receive workers’ compensation benefits.

Notify your employer in writing. The written notice must state the date, time and place of the injury, the nature of the injury and the name and address of the person injured. Always make a copy of the written notice for yourself and keep a written record of the date you mailed your notice.

If you hand-deliver your workers’ compensation notice, keep a record of the date and time of the delivery along with the full name and title of the person to whom it was delivered. After reporting your injury, your employer should arrange for the necessary medical treatment and the filing of the reports with the division.

Get Medical Coverage

The employer or insurer is required to provide medical care and treatment to cure and relieve the employee from the effects of the injury. This includes all costs for authorized medical treatment, prescriptions and medical devices. However, the employer gets to select the physician or medical facility. There is no deductible and all costs are paid by the employer or its workers’ compensation insurance company. If you do receive a bill, contact your employer or the insurance company immediately.

Benefits Available

In addition to medical benefits, an employee may be entitled to temporary total disability benefits and permanent partial or permanent total disability benefits. Upon the death of a worker who has suffered a compensable work injury, certain surviving relatives of the worker may be entitled to weekly benefits from the employer/insurer. The employer/insurer is also responsible for paying for funeral expenses up to $5,000.

*This information is provided by the Missouri Department of Labor