FROI, or first report of injury, is a critical component to compliance with workers comp guidelines. Whether or not an employer agrees with an employee, the FROI must be filed. Typically reports are required when an injury causes an employee to miss 5 or more paid workdays, and must be submitted within seven business days of the fifth missed day of work. Each state has its own FROI form, available online, which should be completed in quadruplicate. One copy must go to the state, one must go to the employee, one to the insurer, and it is recommended to keep one for business records.
If a doctor sees the employee, and the employee complains of work-related injury, he or she is also compelled to file a report. Neither report exists to comment on the veracity of the employee or employer, solely to begin a paper trail to ensure that dates, times, and places can be known to as great a specificity as possible when ascertaining the proper course of action. Like FNOL (first notice of loss), the more promptly and accurately FROI forms are completed, the more likely a positive outcome.