Over the past several years, the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation has taken incremental steps to reduce the time an injured worker has to timely file a claim. Until these changes were made, an injured worker typically would have two years to file, with some exceptions. If an individual waited longer than this prescribed time, the claim would typically be rejected.
The first step the Bureau took was to reduce the time to file a claim resulting from a specific injury. For those claims occurring on or after September 29, 2017, the time to file was cut in half, down to one year. Later, the Bureau similarly reduced the time to file claims categorized as “occupational diseases”. For these claims arising on or after September 28, 2021, the claim must be filed within one year after disability, with some minor exceptions. These changes were enacted in Ohio Administrative Code 4123-3-08. A similar reduction in time also occurred as related to the filing in an existing claim for an additional award by reason of a violation of a specific safety requirement. For claims arising on or after September 15, 2020, the time to file said application was reduced from two years to one year as outlined in Ohio Administrative Code 4121-3-20.
If you sustain an injury at work or contract an occupational disease, it is important to immediately report this to your employer and seek the necessary medical treatment. It is now more important than ever to formally file your claim with the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation in a prompt manner to avoid being disqualified from pursuing your rightful benefits. The attorneys at Green Haines Sgambati have decades of experience in fighting for Ohio’s injured workers and are here to help navigate through this increasingly complex process.