On September 29, 2017, the Ohio legislature cut the amount of time you have to file for benefits in half. Before 2017, workers had two years after injury to file a claim for benefits, but they now have just one year. Has this change pushed people to file more promptly?
Unfortunately, it doesn't appear so. Instead, it seems fewer people are filing.
Looking at Data From 2018
In a recent article, The National Law Review examined Ohio Industrial Commission and Bureau of Workers' Compensation filing data from the last several years and discovered that the number of claims filed within seven days of the workplace injury actually dropped slightly in 2018—the first full year for the one-year deadline. The article also revealed that the overall number of claims filed in 2018 was down slightly from 2017. This is surprising because a spike in claims was expected in 2018 as people rushed to meet the new deadline.
Why This Is Cause for Concern
While the article points out that reviewers had one year only of data to look at and the drops they found were very slight, their findings are still troubling. Given the drastic change in filing deadline from two years to one, we probably should have seen more significant changes in how and when people are filing workers' comp claims. That we didn't could mean that workers just aren't aware of the change and are left stranded when a year has passed, or that the pressure to file quickly is so discouraging that people give up. Either way, employees need more information and support after a workplace injury.
How Monast Law Office Can Help
If you were injured on the job and have questions about your eligibility for Ohio workers' compensation, contact my office right away. We will listen to your story and help you understand what you need to do and when to do it. You can also request a free download of my book, The Worker's Guide to Injury Compensation in Ohio, to get this information on your own. You should have workers' comp when injured on the job in Ohio, and we want to help you exercise that right! Contact us today to learn more.
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