How do I file an OWCP claim?
Once you’re injured on the job, you must provide notice to the employer, and then you must also complete paperwork that goes to the OWCP, the Office of Workers Compensation Programs, who will then review the documentation, and then make a decision on whether or not they accept or decline your claim. They may… Read More »
What is the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP)?
It’s actually called OWCP for short, and that is the federal government that oversees and administers the claims. If you file a claim for a workers’ compensation injury, it’s covered by the OWCP. The claims examiner will be assigned to your claim and will handle your claim. There is no judge. The actually judge… Read More »
How do I get medical care if I was injured on the job?
If you’re injured on the job, the first thing you have to do is get the claim accepted. Once it’s accepted, you can go and see a doctor. However, you may have to go see a doctor before the claim is actually accepted. So you would choose your doctor, the doctor you choose would… Read More »
What is the value of my schedule award?
The value of the schedule award is dependent upon the amount of impairment that the particular injury has or that you have sustained as determined by the physician who evaluates you. Now, there’ll be a range for any particular injury, and you could be on the low end of the range, the high end,… Read More »
How do pre-existing conditions affect Federal Workers’ Compensation claims?
Any individual may have preexisting injuries or difficulties or conditions prior to their accident. If their on-the-job accident as a federal employee makes that preexisting condition worse, then it would be covered. It would be up to the physician to show that the person suffered either temporary exacerbation or permanent injury to that preexisting… Read More »
When should I pursue my schedule award?
The schedule award is payable for permanent impairment sustained to a particular body part, that’s on the schedule. But you have to have permanent impairment. That’s not determined until you’ve reached maximum medical improvement, according to your doctor. So for instance if you injure your shoulder, you may have shoulder surgery, you may have… Read More »
I was injured on the job. How do I file a Federal Workers’ Compensation claim?
It’s important to file what’s called a notice of injury. Now, there are a number of different forms that you would file. However, the important thing to remember is that you should file a notice of injury with your employer within 30 days of the day you knew or should have known you were… Read More »
Why are my medical bills getting denied for my approved medical condition?
That can be very frustrating because you got the claim accepted, your actual condition has been accepted. But what happens oftentimes is the physician may request a type of treatment that the Department of Labor or the OWCP will not allow, or it might be a procedure that is either experimental or there might… Read More »
Must I accept a return to work job offer?
If the job offer from your employer follows all the standards required by law, yes, you must return. Very simply, if the job offer is for a job that you can perform that is within your restrictions and those provided by your physician then, yes, you should return. If the job offer is not… Read More »
My Federal Workers’ Compensation claim is denied. What do I do?
You can appeal any denial. There are three types of appeals that you can pursue. One would be a hearing. The second choice would be a written request for reconsideration, and the third choice is an appeal to the Employee Compensation and Appeals Board in Washington, which is also a written appeal, but that’s… Read More »
