How Do I File a California Workers Compensation Claim for a Self-Inflicted Injury

 Posted on December 30, 2020 in The Workers' Compensation Process in Calfornia

If there is a job-related incident that results in an injury to an employee, the event has to be logged under one of the code titles in the Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System, or OIICS. The OIICS is part of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and it is designed to code the case characteristics of a job-related injury to an employee. Self-inflicted injuries, in relation to workers' compensation, is an injury that a worker does to himself or herself. This injury can be intentional or accidental, but it has its own claim process under workers' compensation regulations.

What Types of Jobs Result in High Amounts of Self-Inflicted Injuries

There are certain types of jobs that have a high risk for self-inflicted injuries. Some of these include:

• Law enforcement
• Medical employees
• Farmers
• Teachers
• Salespeople

Some common self-inflicted injuries that can occur from these jobs include cuts, scrapes, broken bones, internal injuries and serious head injuries.

How Can I Get Workers Compensation from a Self-Inflicted Injury

Depending on how you code your injury in the OIICS, you may or may not receive workers' compensation. If your self-inflicted injury was accidental, you can receive workers' compensation in certain states. In most states, however, the burden of proof is on your employer to confirm that your injury was intentional.Under California law, an employee who intentionally injures himself or herself is not entitled to workers' compensation benefits. However, there are certain exceptions, such as if the injury was the result of an impulsive or unintentional act, then workers' compensation benefits can be applied. Self-inflicted injuries resulting from willful misconduct, intoxication, or being an nitial physical aggressor will result in no workers' compensation benefits as well.If you have been involved in a workplace accident that resulted in a self-inflicted (or other kind of) injury, you should speak with a California workers' compensation attorney to see what benefits you are entitled to. Contact Cramer & Martinez, LLP today for more information.