Initial Medical Care for Work-Related Accidents or Occupational Diseases
If you have suffered a health impairment as a result of a work-related or commuting accident or a recognized occupational disease, you may be eligible for initial medical care. This care is provided by physicians.
If, due to the nature or severity of the work-related or commuting accident or a recognized occupational disease, treatment by an accident medicine specialist is necessary, this will be provided following the initial medical care. Your freedom to choose a doctor may be restricted when it comes to selecting an accident medicine specialist.
The costs of initial medical care are covered directly by your workers’ compensation association or accident insurance fund.
- Initial Medical Care for Individuals Covered by Statutory Accident Insurance
- The employers’ liability insurance association or accident insurance fund covers the costs of initial medical care following a work-related accident, a commuting accident, or as a result of an occupational disease
- Costs: none
- Processing time: Immediate treatment by a doctor
- Report online or by mail
-
Responsible for:
- For insurance claims in commercial enterprises: Occupational accident insurance associations (organized by industry)
- For insurance claims in public-sector organizations and educational institutions: Accident insurance funds (organized by region)
- None
- If necessary, your workers' compensation association or accident insurance fund will request the required documents directly from you
- Health impairment requiring treatment resulting from a work-related accident, a commuting accident, or an occupational disease
- Provision of initial medical care by a physician
There are no costs involved.
Statutory workers’ compensation insurance is based on the principle of ex officio investigation. This means that your workers’ compensation association or accident insurance fund automatically (“ex officio”) conducts all necessary investigations as soon as it becomes aware of your work-related accident, commuting accident, or occupational disease.
- Depending on the nature of your injury, consult an appropriate doctor.
- In general, you have the freedom to choose your own doctor. In the case of work-related accidents, it is recommended that you see a doctor who participates in the statutory accident insurance’s “Durchgangsarztverfahren” (referral process). Alternatively, your professional accident insurance association or accident insurance fund can help you find a suitable doctor.
- Inform your doctor that your visit is due to a work-related accident, a commuting accident, or an occupational disease.
- You can find out which employers’ liability insurance association or accident insurance fund is responsible for you on the website of the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV).
You can also contact your employers’ liability insurance association or accident insurance fund online or by mail.
Online service:
- Access the online service.
- You will be guided through the process on the accident insurance service portal.
-
You can log in.
- If you’d like to receive a response from your employers’ liability insurance association or accident insurance fund in the inbox of your BundID account or My Business Account, you must have an account and authenticate yourself.
- If you would like to receive the response by mail, you can proceed without logging in.
- Select your applicable workers’ compensation association or accident insurance fund, or find it using the industry search.
- Upload the required documents.
- Fill out the online form and submit it.
- Your report will be automatically forwarded to your workers’ compensation association or accident insurance fund.
- You will receive a response via your preferred method.
Online service of your workers’ compensation association or accident insurance fund:
- If you have access to your workers’ compensation association’s or accident insurance fund’s portal, you may also be able to submit the report electronically there.
Report by mail:
- Send an informal letter to your workers’ compensation association or accident insurance fund.
- Be sure to include all required information and attach the necessary documents.
immediate treatment by a doctor
There is no deadline.
- Appeal
- For detailed information on how to file an appeal, please refer to the notice from your employers’ liability insurance association or accident insurance fund.
Forms available: No
Written form required: No
Informal application possible: Yes
In-person appearance required: No
Online services available: Yes
German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV)
- Provision of Initial Medical Care for Individuals Covered by Statutory Accident Insurance
Remark: Displaying Performance on the Original Portal
The text was automatically translated based on the German content.
- Initial Medical Care for Individuals Covered by Statutory Accident Insurance
- The employers’ liability insurance association or accident insurance fund covers the costs of initial medical care following a work-related accident, a commuting accident, or as a result of an occupational disease
- Costs: none
- Processing time: Immediate treatment by a doctor
- Report online or by mail
-
Responsible for:
- For insurance claims in commercial enterprises: Occupational accident insurance associations (organized by industry)
- For insurance claims in public-sector organizations and educational institutions: Accident insurance funds (organized by region)
- None
- If necessary, your workers' compensation association or accident insurance fund will request the required documents directly from you
- Health impairment requiring treatment resulting from a work-related accident, a commuting accident, or an occupational disease
- Provision of initial medical care by a physician
There are no costs involved.
Statutory workers’ compensation insurance is based on the principle of ex officio investigation. This means that your workers’ compensation association or accident insurance fund automatically (“ex officio”) conducts all necessary investigations as soon as it becomes aware of your work-related accident, commuting accident, or occupational disease.
- Depending on the nature of your injury, consult an appropriate doctor.
- In general, you have the freedom to choose your own doctor. In the case of work-related accidents, it is recommended that you see a doctor who participates in the statutory accident insurance’s “Durchgangsarztverfahren” (referral process). Alternatively, your professional accident insurance association or accident insurance fund can help you find a suitable doctor.
- Inform your doctor that your visit is due to a work-related accident, a commuting accident, or an occupational disease.
- You can find out which employers’ liability insurance association or accident insurance fund is responsible for you on the website of the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV).
You can also contact your employers’ liability insurance association or accident insurance fund online or by mail.
Online service:
- Access the online service.
- You will be guided through the process on the accident insurance service portal.
-
You can log in.
- If you’d like to receive a response from your employers’ liability insurance association or accident insurance fund in the inbox of your BundID account or My Business Account, you must have an account and authenticate yourself.
- If you would like to receive the response by mail, you can proceed without logging in.
- Select your applicable workers’ compensation association or accident insurance fund, or find it using the industry search.
- Upload the required documents.
- Fill out the online form and submit it.
- Your report will be automatically forwarded to your workers’ compensation association or accident insurance fund.
- You will receive a response via your preferred method.
Online service of your workers’ compensation association or accident insurance fund:
- If you have access to your workers’ compensation association’s or accident insurance fund’s portal, you may also be able to submit the report electronically there.
Report by mail:
- Send an informal letter to your workers’ compensation association or accident insurance fund.
- Be sure to include all required information and attach the necessary documents.
immediate treatment by a doctor
There is no deadline.
- Appeal
- For detailed information on how to file an appeal, please refer to the notice from your employers’ liability insurance association or accident insurance fund.
Forms available: No
Written form required: No
Informal application possible: Yes
In-person appearance required: No
Online services available: Yes
German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV)
- Provision of Initial Medical Care for Individuals Covered by Statutory Accident Insurance
Remark: Displaying Performance on the Original Portal
The text was automatically translated based on the German content.