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What to Do When You Notice Work-related Injuries or Diseases

Whenever you learn that one of your employees sustained an occupational injury or disease, you or your department's HRS representative must do the following:

  • Assist your employee in arranging "reasonable and necessary" medical treatment
  • Complete an Employer's First Report of Injury or Illness (FAD) form—this form must be submitted by the eighth day of learning of injury/disease
  • Forward additional comments and/or witness statements to the HRS-WCI office
  • Forward any and all medical narratives, witness statements, evidence and invoices that your department receives to the HRS-WCI office
  • Complete a Request for Paid Leave Form (S23) at the start of disability, even if the employee does not plan to receive a compensation check
  • Upon the eighth day of disability, submit an Employer's Wage Statement (SWG)

How to Help Your Employee Arrange Medical Treatment

As a manager, you are responsible for assisting an employee in finding "reasonable and necessary" health care, which is defined as health care that cures or relieves the effects naturally resulting from a compensable injury, promotes recovery, and/or enhances the ability of the employee to return to or retain employment. Assist your employee in the following ways:

  • Advise your employees to choose one doctor to coordinate all their care related to the workers' comp injury/disease, because employees may become responsible for paying any charges associated with medical care for a work-related injury they receive from someone other than the treating doctor
  • Employees with serious or after-hour/weekend injuries requiring immediate medical care should seek treatment from the nearest hospital emergency room
  • You should call Emergency Medical Services (911) if your employee has serious, life-threatening injuries
  • Inform your employees that medical benefits for covered injuries are payable from the date of injury, and they should tell the treating doctor that any bills associated with the work-related injury should be sent directly to The University of Texas System, WCI Office
  • If the treating doctor has questions about the types of services that must be pre-authorized or about how to complete required reports and invoices, he or she may contact the Medical Review Division of the Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers' Compensation (DWC) by calling 512-440-3513

Changing Treating Doctors

If your employee wants to change treating doctors, the employee must complete a Request to Change Treating Doctors (DWC-53) form and get approval from the Division of Workers' Compensation before making the change. You should advise your employee to contact a Division of Workers' Compensation customer service representative for assistance with this process by calling 512-440-3513.

How to Complete an Employer's First Report of Injury

A first report of injury should ideally be completed within 24 hours, and it absolutely must be completed by the eighth day after learning of occupational injury/disease/death. In order to complete a first report of injury, gather the following information from your employee:

  • Employee’s name, current address, and current telephone number (if any)
  • The date, time, and place employee’s injury occurred
  • A description of the circumstances and the nature of employee's injury
  • Names of any witnesses
  • If employee has been treated already, the name of the treating doctor

You must then give this information to your department's HRS representative and work with him or her to ensure that you complete the first report of injury on time. If you also function as your department’s HRS representative, follow the first report of injury instructions for HR professionals.

How Submit Info to the WCI Office

Submit all medical narratives, witness statements, evidence and invoices that your department receives to the WCI office at the following address:

HRS-WCI
101 E. 27th St.
Austin, TX 78712
Mail code: J5600
Phone: 512-471-5361
E-mail contact: Mark Steitle

You may need to submit some information to The University of Texas System WCI Office at the following address:

The University of Texas System, ORM - Workers' Compensation Office
220 W. 7th Street
Austin, TX 78701

How to Complete Other Workers' Comp Forms

You should work with your HRS representative to complete a request for paid leave and an employer’s wage statement. If you also serve as your department’s HRS representative, read the worker’s comp information for HR professionals to learn how to complete these forms.

How to Deal With Questionable Injuries

If you question the legitimacy of your employee’s injury or have questions about the reporting process, you should contact the HRS workers' compensation manager at 512-471-5361.