As a Nevada firefighter your situation may be covered by special workers’ compensation laws and benefits that are not available to other professions. Our state provides extra coverage and compensation to first responders to make sure our injured heroes receive the treatment and assistance they deserve.

If You Have Been Injured on the Job, Follow These 11 Steps

1. First and foremost, tend to your injury without worrying about expenses or insurance coverage.
2. You must report your injury to your employer as soon as possible, and definitely within seven days from the date of the incident if you want to receive benefit coverage through the workers’ compensation system.
3. To report your injury, you need to fill out a Notice of Injury or Occupational Disease – Incident Report, also known as a C-1 form. Your employer should give this form to you and once completed, you must return the form to your employer.
4. Be sure to provide accurate, detailed information on your Incident Report. Describe how the injury happened, your immediate reactions as well as any issues that have arisen from the injury, and other important facts no matter how insignificant they may seem to you at the time. Be consistent in your reporting because this information must match what you tell your doctor and the insurance carrier in the future.
5. Keep a copy of your Incident Report in a file where you will add future documents related to your injury, treatment, and workers’ compensation claim.
6. If you can’t complete the Incident Report within seven days, be sure to give notice to your supervisor or human resources person (not another co-worker) and get the form done as soon as possible. If you don’t give the required notice under the law, you may lose some or all of your potential benefits.
7. Keep in mind, the Incident Report does NOT start your workers’ compensation claim process. You and your treating doctor will complete a different form to begin your work comp claim.
8. Ask your employer for a list of the authorized medical providers you can choose from to get treated for your injury. This information should be posted on a standard notice at your workplace, but your employer should also have a current list.
9. You must choose one of the listed authorized care providers for your treatment to be covered by workers’ compensation insurance. If you are treated by a doctor who is not on the list, workers’ compensation may not cover your expenses.
10. The first time you meet your authorized treating doctor, you will prepare a document called an Employee’s Claim for Compensation/Report of Initial Treatment which is also known as a C-4 form. You must complete your portion of the form, your doctor will complete the medical section, and the doctor will then submit this form to your employer and the workers’ compensation carrier to officially begin your work comp claim process. The C-4 form must be filed within 90 days from the date of your injury to protect your benefit rights. Keep a copy of this form in the file you created in #5 above.
11. Follow through with your treatment and keep records of all documents related to your injury and recovery in your file.

If you have any questions or concerns at any time during the 11 steps above, you should talk to your union representative. If necessary, they can recommend an experienced Nevada workers’ compensation (WC) attorney to protect your rights. Most lawyers do not charge for an initial consultation, and won’t bill you for attorney’s fees on an hourly basis. Instead, WC lawyers usually are paid a percentage of your benefit recovery, so they don’t get paid unless you get paid. Your union representative maintains a list of qualified WC attorneys who are familiar with the nuances of first responder cases.

Help is Here

As you can see, if you suffer a work-related injury you must take action quickly. After getting any emergency care required, you should follow these steps within the legal timeframes to ensure you receive the hard-earned benefits and compensation you deserve.

For First Responders is here to answer your questions and provide support services. Don’t try to tough it out by yourself. Call (702) 840-5555 or fill out our online contact form if you have questions.