Ohio Workers' Compensation: Fast Facts

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Coverage Requirements Under Ohio State Law

Most Ohio businesses with multiple employees must purchase workers' compensation directly from the state. However, there's also an option for employers who wish to self-insure to do so. Ohio workers' comp law covers all part-time and full-time employees, with a few exceptions. See which Ohio workers are usually exempt from this automatic coverage requirement below.

Work-Related Injury or Illness Reporting Requirements

Notify your employer as soon as you reasonably can that you got hurt or sick on the job. It's best to do this in writing. When you seek medical treatment, be sure to tell the doctor you see that your injury's work-related. That doctor must then report it to the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BMC) or your employer within 24 hours.

Where to Seek Medical Care

You can see any doctor you like to treat your workplace injury or occupational illness - even your family physician. However, if you need ongoing treatment, you'll need to choose a BWC- authorized healthcare provider. That second doctor becomes your “Physician of Record” on your workers' comp claim. If you see an unauthorized provider for medical care, you'll potentially have to pay those doctor's bills yourself.

Waiting Period for Lost-Wage Benefits in Ohio

Your first 7 days off are always unpaid until after you miss 2 weeks of work total while you recover. On your 15th missed job shift, you'll receive wage-loss benefits for your first unpaid week off work. If you don't need at least a week off to recover, then Ohio workers' compensation only covers your medical expenses.

Ohio Workers' Compensation Statute of Limitations

You have one year from your work injury or illness date to file your claim for Ohio workers' compensation benefits.

Ohio Weekly Compensation Rate

For the first 12 weeks you must miss work, you can receive 72% of your full weekly wage (FWW). After that, you'll receive 66 2/3% of Ohio's average weekly wage (AWW), subject to the state's maximum and minimum amounts.

How Long You Can Receive Ohio Workers' Comp Benefits

  • Medical benefits: unlimited
  • Death benefits: up to $5,500 for funeral and burial expenses; biweekly TTD payments divided equally amongst all eligible survivors until the widowed spouse remarries or dies
  • Temporary Total Disability (TTD): until you return to work in any capacity or reach maximum medical improvement, but no more than 200 weeks
  • Permanent Partial Disability (PPD): 2 weeks of PPD compensation for every 1% of disability assigned to your partial impairment compensated at 66 2/3% of your AWW; usually paid in a lump-sum settlement award
  • Temporary Partial Disability (TPD): up to 200 weeks of TTD payments, though it may extend to 226 weeks in rare circumstances
  • Permanent Total Disability (PTD): lifetime TTD benefits paid at the approved rate on your date of injury/disability, subject to certain Social Security offsets where applicable

Ohio Workers' Comp Coverage Exemptions

The following employees are automatically exempt from Ohio workers' compensation coverage requirements:

  • Certain LLC members and partners
  • Domestic workers that earn less than $160 in any calendar quarter (i.e., babysitters, gardeners, cooks)
  • Federal employees, including railroad workers
  • Independent contractors, but only if they don't employ anyone else (i.e., subcontractors)
  • Most volunteers
  • Ordained ministers and associates working for a religious organization
  • Sole proprietors with no employees

Ohio Workers' Compensation Attorney Fees

All Ohio workers' compensation attorneys work on contingency. This means you only pay legal fees for successful claims. If you don't win, then you pay your lawyer $0. Depending on how and when you resolve your claim, an attorney may charge anywhere from 20%-33 1/3% in legal fees. However, a 2018 IC resolution caps Ohio workers' comp attorney fees at no more than $15,000.