What Is a Workers’ Compensation Claim?

The term "workers' compensation claim" is a phrase that gets used in different ways by different people. Sometimes, a person may say they have a workers' compensation claim and mean that they have had a work accident which caused injury. Often, injured workers' are confused about their legal benefits and responsibilities, and assume that the "workers' compensation claim" is something filed or prepared by the employer. Nothing could be further from the truth. Technically speaking, in Missouri there is what is known as a "Claim for Compensation". This is the document that is filed with the Division of Workers' Compensation by the injured worker, or preferably their attorney. It is never filed by the employer. Generally speaking, the claim is required by law to be filed within 2 years of the date of accident, or within 2 years of the last provision or payment of workers' compensation benefits, whichever is later. This is what is known as the statute of limitations.