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Traumatic Injury (CA-1)
Traumatic Injury Claims (Form CA-1)
A federal employee who is injured during a specific work event or within one work shift starts the claim process by filing Form CA-1, Federal Employee’s Notice of Traumatic Injury and Claim for Continuation of Pay/Compensation (COP). The form acts as both a notice of the injury and the filing of the claim. The details and timing matter. A vague description, the wrong form, or missing medical evidence can delay the claim and affect eligibility for COP.
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How Did the Injury Occur?
What Counts as a Traumatic Injury
Under 20 C.F.R. § 10.5, a traumatic injury is a wound or other condition of the body caused by a specific event or incident or by a series of events or incidents during a single workday or shift. Examples of an event could be falling while delivering mail, lifting a package and feeling immediate back pain, being struck by equipment, or developing pain after performing one particular task repeatedly during one shift. The key issue is the time frame. The incident or work activity must occur within one workday or shift. It doesn’t necessarily have to involve one sudden impact.
Form CA-1 vs. Form CA-2
Form CA-1 is for injuries that result from an event or work activity occurring within one shift. Form CA-2 is a Notice of Occupational Disease and Claim for Compensation, which is for conditions developed because of exposure to activity extending across more than one work shift. Using the wrong form isn’t a minor technicality. It can change the evidence required to establish the claim and affect COP eligibility. COP is not available for occupational disease claims filed on a CA-2.
Injury Occurrence
A traumatic injury is a single incident or something caused by repeated activity during a single shift.Form Filing
Form CA-1 is used for traumatic injuries. If the wrong form is filed, the employee may not be eligible for COP.Timing
Employees have three years to file a CA-1 for a traumatic injury. COP qualification requires a claim within 30 days.Form Access
Employees can access Form CA-1 through the U.S. Department of Labor’s FECA forms page.
When To File
What Is a Timely Filing?
File a CA-1 to notify the employing agency of the injury and to initiate the claim under the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA). Under 5 U.S.C. § 8122, employees have three years from the date of the injury to file the form. The statute also contains rules for claims after three years that involve actual knowledge by an immediate superior, and for latent disability in situations in which an employee did not initially know that a condition was connected to federal employment. To help avoid disputes about timeliness, notify your employer and submit Form CA-1 as soon as possible after the injury.
How to File a CA-1
Many agencies allow employees to file electronically through the Employees’ Compensation Operations and Management Portal (ECOMP). An employee does not need a supervisor’s permission to initiate a claim in ECOMP. Some agencies require an OSHA Form 301 before the employee can submit Form CA-1. Other agencies use different internal procedures.
Continuation of Pay
COP continues an eligible employee's regular salary for up to 45 calendar days of disability resulting from the traumatic injury. COP is salary that’s subject to taxes and payroll deductions. To be eligible for COP, an employee must have a job-related traumatic injury, file Form CA-1 within 30 days, and begin losing time from work within 45 days of the injury. Generally, the day or shift on which the injury occurs isn’t counted as a COP day. COP is counted in calendar days, not scheduled work days, so weekends and holidays can count toward the 45-day maximum.
USPS 3-Day Rule
The USPS has a separate three-day waiting period, which means postal employees are not entitled to COP for the first three days of temporary disability. Instead, employees can use annual leave, sick leave, or leave without pay during that time. If the disability lasts longer than 14 days or turns into permanent disability, the leave used during the first three days can be restored.
COP Controversion
An agency may controvert COP, which means the employing agency is challenging or disputing COP entitlement. Controversion is not the same as your FECA claim being denied. Only the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP) has the authority to make the final decision on entitlement to COP.
Medical Care in the First Days
The employing agency should issue Form CA-16, Authorization for Examination and/or Treatment, for a traumatic injury that requires medical treatment. A supervisor should complete this form within four hours of the incident, but if immediate medical attention is required, authorization can be given by telephone. CA-16 is a time-limited form to authorize initial examination and treatment. It’s not an acceptance of the FECA claim and does not guarantee that OWCP will accept every diagnosed condition. Federal employees have the right to select an attending physician who meets FECA requirements. An agency may arrange its own exam, but that should not delay treatment by the employee's chosen physician. OWCP may direct second-opinion or referee exams as part of the claims process after initial examination.
Filling Out a Form
Accuracy matters more than dramatic wording, but be specific about what you know. Avoid a statement such as “hurt back at work.” Instead, explain the mechanism: “While lifting a 45-pound parcel from the floor to a sorting table, I felt a sharp pain in my lower back.” Do not speculate about a diagnosis. Describe the event and symptoms as precisely as possible.
What to Include on a CA-1
The injury description should explain exactly what occurred and include:
The date and time
The specific location
The work task being performed
The physical movement, exposure, or event
All affected body parts
The names of witnesses
Any immediate symptoms
What the Agency Can and Cannot Do
The employing agency processes the form and may submit factual evidence or challenge parts of the claim. It may controvert COP when it believes a regulatory basis exists. The agency cannot make the final decision to accept or deny the FECA claim. That authority belongs to OWCP. The agency also cannot require an employee to obtain permission before initiating a claim through ECOMP.
For Your Records
Employees should keep copies of the following:
- The completed CA-1
- The ECOMP submission confirmation
- Medical reports and work restrictions
- Witness statements
- Emails or letters from the agency
- OWCP correspondence and development letters
Getting Back on Track
Some claims begin with the wrong form, an incomplete injury description, missing medical evidence, or an agency challenge to COP. Others receive an OWCP development letter asking for additional facts or medical reasoning. Identify what is missing. Compare the request with the evidence already in the file. Obtain a clear medical report that names the diagnosis and addresses causal relationship. Correct factual errors in writing and submit evidence through the proper channel, such as ECOMP’s document-upload feature, after a case number has been assigned.
Contacting a Federal Compensation Lawyer
If you have questions about filing a CA-1, a problem with COP, or an OWCP request or decision, contact Aumiller Lomax for a free telephone consultation. We can discuss your situation, explain your options, and give you a candid assessment of whether representation would be helpful.
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