DOI is shorthand for a specific Date of Injury in Workers’ Compensation law. CT DOI is shorthand for Cumulative Trauma DOI (also called Continuous Trauma). In many cases, the date of when an injury occurred is clear and obvious. If a worker slips and falls on the job, they’ll know the date that injury happened (specific DOI). Other injuries are not quite as clear cut. Repetitive strain injuries such as tendonitis occur over a period of time (CT DOI).
Why is DOI so important?
Every workers’ compensation claim is required to include a DOI to establish when an employee first suffered a disability from the injury. The DOI determines the compensation rates, employer’s overall liability, and what regulations will apply to the claim. For a specific injury, this is simply the date the injury occurred.
What do I do for a Cumulative Trauma injury?
If the workplace injury is a disability that has taken place over a period of time, such as a repetitive strain injury or an occupational illness/exposure, the CT DOI is the date when the employee first suffered disability from the workplace environment, or when the employee first noticed symptoms of the cumulative trauma injury or illness are a few examples of a way to establish a cumulative trauma injury.
We’re here to help if you have questions
If you have a cumulative trauma injury and you are not sure how to proceed in your claim, reach out to us if you need help. The process can be daunting, and we strive to make it easier for you. Suffering a disability on the job is stressful enough. Making sure your claim is handled correctly doesn’t need to add to that stress.
