If you are a federal employee who was injured on the job, you can apply for FECA benefits.
Taking the time to file a FECA claim can be stressful, especially if you are injured. You may have questions about filing your claim, and here at Sarphie Law, LLC, we can help answer them.
Filing Your FECA Claim
The first step in filing a FECA claim is determining how you want to file it. If you have a computer, you can apply for FECA benefits online through the Employees’ Compensation Operations and Management Portal (ECOMP). You must register and create an account to use the ECOMP platform.
If you do not have access to a computer, you can print the forms you need, complete them, and either mail or fax them to the appropriate Office of Workers Compensation Programs office in your state.
When you apply for FECA benefits, you want to make sure you fill out the correct form. Two forms to pay close attention to are CA-1 for traumatic injuries and CA-2 for occupational illness injuries.
You must file a FECA claim within three years of the time of injury. The timeline for traumatic injuries starts the day of the injury. For an occupational illness, time begins when the employee becomes aware of the correlation between the illness and work.
Providing evidence
Once you file your FECA claim, you may be asked to provide further evidence from a medical professional through a report. This report should include:
- A detailed description of the injury
- Diagnosis
- An explanation of how the injury occurred
- Any other evidence the claims examiner asks for
If you have access to any of this information when initially filing your claim, you can either use ECOMP to submit it online in electronic form or make a copy of the report and mail it with your forms.
If your FECA claim is specifically for an occupational illness, this checklist lists the evidence you must attach to your claim.
Resources for Filing a FECA Claim
The most common resource you will find when you apply for FECA benefits is the ECOMP website. The Department of Labor and other agencies will send you to ECOMP where you can submit your claim, submit evidence you have, track your claim status, and receive your claim decision. ECOMP also sends you an email any time your case is updated.
You can ask your lawyer for help filing your FECA claim. They will help you ensure you have everything you need before submitting your claim and that all forms are filled out completely and correctly. Your claim can then be mailed or faxed to the proper Workers’ Compensation Official.
Talk to a FECA Claims Lawyer Today
When you apply for FECA benefits, it is essential to provide specifics about what happened, how it happened, where it happened, etc. Make sure to complete the proper forms for your particular type of claim entirely and accurately.
If you have questions or need assistance filing your FECA claim, contact us at Sarphie Law, LLC today. We look forward to discussing how we may be able to help you.