If you suffered injuries in a motor vehicle accident, you might have already filed an Application for Accident Benefits. The first step in seeking benefits for injuries sustained in an accident is filing an Application for Accident Benefits, known as an OCF-1. Your insurance company should provide this after you notify them that you were in a car accident.
An OCF-1 is the threshold form that initiates your case. If you have lost wages because of your injuries, the next important step of the benefits process is completing an Employer’s Confirmation Form known as an OCF-2.
When you sustain injuries in a motor vehicle accident, you may have both an accident benefits claim and a personal injury case. You file your accident benefits claim with your insurer. You can also file a personal injury lawsuit against the driver at fault for the accident that resulted in your injuries.
When seeking compensation, you must file any OCF-1 and OCF-2 forms in a timely fashion. These auto insurance claims forms are just two of the necessary OCF forms you need to file when pursuing accident benefits.
After completing and submitting these forms, you must file a Disability Certificate, known as an OCF-3. You must complete and submit your OCF-3 form within ten days of completing the OCF-1, Application for Accident Benefits. You and your physician must both complete portions of the OCF-3.
What Is an OCF-2
If you sustained injuries in a car accident, you must first submit a detailed OCF-1, also known as an Application for Accident Benefits. The OCF-1 allows you to apply for benefits, including medical treatment and lost wages. An insurance company may request you submit an OCF-2, also known as an Employer’s Confirmation Form.
Your employer mainly uses an OCF-2 to confirm your income. This form contains sections that both you and your employer must complete.
When your insurance company asks you to complete an OCF-2, complete the necessary parts of the form. Once you complete your portion of the document, give the OCF-2 to your employer. It will complete the remainder of the OCF-2 and turn it in to the insurance company. If you list more than one employer on your OCF-1, each employer must submit a separate OCF-2.
What You Must Complete on the OCF-2
As a benefit applicant, you must complete Parts 1-3 of the OCF-2. Part 1 of the form requires that you provide personal details such as your name, address, gender, telephone number, and date of birth. You must also provide the name of the insurance carrier and adjuster handling your accident benefits claim. If you cannot access this information, your personal injury lawyer can help you get it.
Part 2 requires you to print your name and sign and date the OCF-2. Any other legally authorized individual, such as an agent, can sign if your injuries or any other circumstances prevent you from signing the OCF-2. Failure to sign the OCF-2 makes the form incomplete, which may cause the delay or denial of your benefits claim.
Part 3 requires you to list the employment period in which you earned the most money. You choose between a four-week period or a 52-week period. Checking both boxes will help ensure that your insurance carrier uses the number that yields the higher income-earning period. Your insurance carrier calculates your benefits based on this number. The higher the number, the greater your benefit amount.
What Your Employer Must Complete on the OCF-2
Your employer completes the remaining parts of the OCF-2 Employers Confirmation Form. Your employer reports your gross income twice in Part 4 of the OCF-2. First, your employer lists your gross earnings for the four weeks before the accident. Second, your employer lists your gross earnings for the 52 weeks before the accident.
Always review the OCF-2 for accuracy after your employer completes it. Mistakes can occur, and they can result in lower benefits. If you find any errors, return the form to your employer or ask your lawyer to return the form.
In Part 6, your employer lists the details of your employment, such as your title, a brief description of your job, and the last day you worked. Your employer should record its contact information and sign the OCF-2 in Parts 7 and 8 of the form. They should then submit the form to your insurance company. You must verify that your employer offers the document on time to the appropriate insurance company.
Observe All Deadlines
You have seven days from the date of the accident to report it to your insurance company. When you notify your insurer of the accident, also inform it that you plan to apply for Accident Benefits.
After you report your accident, you should receive an OCF-1 Application for Accident Benefits from your insurance carrier. Your time to complete and return these documents is limited. You have only 30 days to complete and submit all forms packaged with the OCF-1. If you fail to meet this deadline, you risk delaying or losing benefits.
Contact the Experienced Accident Lawyers at Wagners
If you are injured in a car accident in Nova Scotia, you are entitled to seek accident benefits. These benefits allow you to receive treatment for your injuries and reimbursement of some of your lost wages. Also, if another person was at fault for your injuries, you may be entitled to bring a lawsuit. Wagners can help you seek compensation for any present and future losses.
Wagners has nearly 80 years of experience helping injured victims in and around Nova Scotia obtain compensation for their injuries. Our team of experienced injury lawyers in Halifax, Nova Scotia, provides legal services adhering to the highest standard of excellence to clients in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, and throughout Canada.
If you have been injured in a car accident, contact Wagners for your free consultation. You can reach our team by calling 902-425-7330 or 1-800-465-8794, or by completing a short online contact form.