Deciding whether to file a claim for a patient

If you think a condition is not work-related:

• You must file the claim anyway.
• You can indicate that the condition is not work-related on the accident report (see Determining Work-Relatedness section in the Attending Doctor's Handbook, page 7).
• You can also inform the patient that the inappropriate filing of a claim may delay coverage by other insurers.

If the injury is minor:

• File a claim whenever you treat an injured worker.  
• Provisions of state law apply regardless of the severity of the injury. See below for laws and rules.

If you think a condition is work-related, but your patient does not want to file a claim:

• You are required to inform the injured worker of their rights.
• If the worker objects after hearing their rights, it is not your responsibility to file a report.
• L&I cannot pay you for the visit unless a claim is filed.

If your patient is afraid of retaliation for filing a claim:

• Let the patient know that they are protected against such discrimination.

• See the Attending Doctor's Handbook, page 22, for what to do if your patient has been discriminated against for filing a claim.