The parish should file a workers compensation claim whenever an employee or volunteer gets injured during the course of employment, no matter how minor the claim may seem at the time. We have had instances in the past where an injury that appeared minor at the time eventually developed into something serious, and we ended up looking at a possible fine for not reporting the claim initially.

To report a claim, the employer must complete a First Report of Injury form; instructions are on the back of the form. This form must be submitted within 10 days of the date the employer is notified of the injury; failure to do so could result in fines. The completed form is faxed to Catholic Mutual Group, Attn: Cindy Swiercek, at 1-402-551-2943; if you don’t have access to a fax machine, mail the form to:

Catholic Mutual Group

Attn: Cindy Swiercek

10843 Old Mill Road

Omaha NE 68154-2600

If the claim involves death or serious injury, the parish must notify the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry and Catholic Mutual within 48 hours of the occurrence. Catholic Mutual’s phone number is 1-800-228-6108 ext 2440; Contact information for the Department of Labor can be found on the back of the First Report of Injury.