For all workers’ comp claims, including those that develop over time, you should report an injury or illness as soon as possible after discovery to avoid your claim being denied. The time you have to report a claim varies by state, but it is probably 30 days or less.

Depending on the state, the time will start running from the date of the accident, the date of the last medical treatment or the date of the last payment of benefits. In latent disease cases, such as those involving lung cancer, mesothelioma or toxic exposure, the time may start running from the date of the last exposure, date of appearance of the disease or date that the disease was found on a test, such as a chest x-ray, MRI or CT scan.

(Reviewed 9-08)