Self-insured employers and insurance carriers in Arizona must forward an employee’s written injury notification to the state’s industrial commission within seven business days beginning Sept. 24, 2022.
This is the result of Arizona Senate Bill 1403, which amended the state’s workers’ compensation statute to apply when a self-insured employer or insurance company receives a written notification of an injury from an injured employee who intends to file a workers’ compensation claim.
After receiving the notice, the self-insured employer or insurance company must forward the notification to the Industrial Commission of Arizona (ICA) within seven business days and inform the employee of the employee’s requirement to file a claim with ICA.
The new form to file the written notification should be available on the ICA website, according to law firm Snell & Wilmer.
Failure by the self-insured employer or insurance company to submit the written notification could result in relieving the injured worker of their requirement to file the claim within one year.
Applies to existing injuries where worker hasn’t filed claim
Snell & Wilmer point out that it’s important to note the statute also applies to existing injuries where the injured worker hasn’t yet filed a claim.
Also of note is the fact that the statute doesn’t define the term “intends to file a claim for compensation.” That means if a worker suffers a work-related injury and informs the employer they need to file for benefits or is seeking to receive medical care or compensation for lost work time, the employer may want to consider taking that statement as intent to file a claim.