Getting injured in the workplace could be a disheartening and overwhelming experience. Aside from the physical pain, you could also experience emotional trauma from feeling helpless and unable to do your work. The complexities of filing a workers’ compensation claim could further add to the distress you are already feeling. To help you start the claim process, here is a quick guide on filing your Form 18.
What is a Form 18?
The Form 18 is a legal claim form notifying the North Carolina Industrial Commission of your workplace injury. It requires you to provide complete and accurate details regarding your condition and how it happened. You must submit the filled-out form to your employer and to the Industrial Commission.
Form 18 has two other variations used in different cases. You can use Form 18B for claims relating to lung disease and Form 18M for requesting additional medical compensation. These forms will be the basis for the succeeding steps of your workplace compensation claim.
What information is needed?
In Form 18, you must provide details about yourself, your employer and your injury. Below are the key details needed to fill out the form.
- Employee information: This includes personal information such as your full name, address, contact number, email address, sex, date of birth and social security number.
- Employer information: This refers to your employer’s name, address and contact number. You must also provide your employer’s insurance provider, policy number, the provider’s address and contact number. If you do not know the details of your employer’s insurance, you can ask your employer, contact the Industrial Commission’s Claims Administration Section or simply leave it blank.
- Injury details: This includes the date and time of injury, where and how it happened, and the specific body part involved in your injury. You should also provide details in the form of the medical treatment you received.
- Work conditions: You must also provide details on the nature of your work, your weekly wage, the hours and days worked per week and the number of days you were out from work because of your injury.
- Signature: As this is a legal form, you must provide your signature and the date you completed the form. A representative could sign on your behalf if you injured your hand and cannot sign the form.
Form 18 is essential for initiating your workers’ compensation claim. You can prevent further complications to the process by providing accurate and complete information as early as you can, or within 30 days. The guidance of an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer could increase the chance of successfully claiming your compensation.
