When an employee is injured in the workplace in Minnesota, one of the first things the employer should do is file a First Report of Injury (FROI) form.
Ensuring that your employer properly fills out and files the Minnesota First Report of Injury form will save everyone time and headache if you need to file for workers’ compensation benefits.
At the Criminal Defense Attorney & Workers’ Compensation Law Offices of Arechigo & Stokka, we help employees get the workers’ compensation benefits they are entitled to.
If you were injured in the workplace and need assistance with the FROI, contact our St. Paul workers’ comp lawyers today.
Starting the Workers’ Compensation Claims Process
If you are injured at work and need medical attention, seek it promptly and then notify your employer of your injury as soon as possible.
The employer must then file a Minnesota First Report of Injury form with their workers’ compensation insurer.
The deadline for filing the FROI depends on the severity of the injury:
- Serious injury or death—notify the Department of Labor and Industry within 48 hours, and file the FROI within seven days;
- Injury causing more than three days of missed work—file the FROI within ten days of missed work; or
- Injury not causing missed work—an FROI may not be required.
If any doubt exists about whether the injury requires the form, it is better to file the FROI.
Filling Out the FROI Form
If possible, the employer, and employee should work together to complete the FROI form. Read through the instructions on the second page of the form carefully. The instructions help explain what the first report of injury must contain. Below are some tips for answering some less straightforward questions on the form.
OSHA Case Number
If an employer has ten or more full-time employees, they must log work injuries requiring FROIs using OSHA Form 300. The first injury in the year is case number one, the second is case number two, and so on.
Date of Injury
Sometimes the date of injury is obvious, as in acute incidents. However, injury or occupational disease that develops over time can be harder to pin a date to.
Typically, the “date of injury” in these instances is the date the employee knew or should have known that the injury or disease was work related.
Employee Information Sheet
The FROI directs the employer to provide a copy of the “Employee Information Sheet” to the injured employee.
The Minnesota Workers’ Compensation System Employee Information Sheet is available in English and Spanish. It provides a brief overview of Minnesota’s Workers’ Compensation system.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Report Do You Need to Fill Out If You Have an Injury While at Work?
You must file the Minnesota First Report of Injury form.
Who Files the Injury Report?
The employer, not the employee, files the Minnesota First Report of Injury form.
What Do You Put On an Injury Report?
You include details about the employer, the employee, the injury, and the employee’s wages on the FROI form.
Where Do You File an Injury Report?
The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry prefers that you file online.
Contact Arechigo & Stokka
If you were injured at work, the First Report of Injury form is crucial in the workers’ compensation claims process.
If your employer is refusing to file the form, or you are concerned that your employer may not fill the form out properly, contact us today.
We can help ensure the form includes everything it should to streamline the workers’ compensation process. The sooner you get your claim processing, the sooner you can focus on recovery.
Attorney John Arechigo has a passion for criminal defense in St. Paul, MN. John received his J.D., from Hamline University School of Law and also carries a Bachelor of Arts from, The University of Minnesota. John was named Attorney of the Year for 2019 by Minnesota Lawyer. Additionally, John was also named as a 2019 Rising Star and was selected to Minnesota Super Lawyers in 2021. He devotes nearly 100% of his practice to defending individuals charged with a crime.