An injured worker files a claim on September 3, 2007 with the DOI of August 29, 2007, no documentation to support the injury, and the worker was terminated May 30, 2007. You should:

• A. deny the claim
• B. accept the claim
• C. delay and investigate
• D. close the file

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that workers’ compensation benefits require an injury that occurs while the worker is still employed and within the employer–employee relationship. Here, the date of injury is August 29, 2007, but the worker was terminated on May 30, 2007, meaning the injury occurred after employment ended. Without an active employment relationship at the time of injury, there’s no basis for coverage, and with no documentation to support the injury, there’s even less evidence to establish a work-related claim. Therefore, the appropriate action is to deny the claim.