In California, an I&A (Information and Assistance) officer is a representative from the Department of Industrial Relations whose job it is to provide information and assistance about workers’ compensation in California.
Each state has its own workers’ compensation system, which is made up of government offices, insurance companies, law offices, doctors offices and hospitals, workplaces, and workers. While there is easily accessible information about workers’ comp on the DIR website, it can be very helpful to speak with someone who can point you in the right direction.
Who are I&A officers there for?
Every stakeholder in a work comp claim may have a reason to contact an I&A officer. In many cases, it is the injured worker themselves who need to get basic information about what to do regarding their claim.
Injured workers are entitled to seek a workers’ compensation attorney for their claim, who will be able to provide answer most questions that an I&A officer would, but some injured workers have difficulty with the costs of hiring one. Many claims do not require an attorney at all, and they are simply seeking more information about their claim.
These are all valid reasons to speak to an I&A officer. Below, we’ve outlined some things you can do before speaking to one.
Tips for speaking with an I&A officer for injured workers
Questions often arise in workers’ comp claims. Oftentimes, those questions lead to even more questions. Having some questions prepared before a call with the I&A Officer is the best way to ensure that you have all your bases covered.
Even more important than having questions prepared, is having good questions prepared. But, how do you prepare good questions if you don’t know anything about workers’ comp? We recommend looking over some of the provided materials on the Information and Assistance page. We’ve linked each section below. If necessary, go over the content with a friend or family member to get a better understanding of each page.
- Workers’ compensation benefits
- Facts Sheets and Guides for Injured Workers
- DWC (Department of Workers’ Compensation) glossary of workers’ compensation terms for injured workers
- Workers’ compensation reference materials
- Medical mileage expense form/Formulario de gastos de viajes para asuntos médicos
- Simplified flowchart for claims process
Conclusion
Everybody in workers’ compensation may need to speak with a representative from the state who can answer their questions. This is the I&A officer’s job.
An injured worker may benefit from speaking to an I&A officer in order to learn more about the workers’ compensation process in California.
Speaking to an attorney is a direct way of answering questions about work comp, but not all injured workers have an attorney for their claim. In this case, they can call an I&A officer.
If your work comp claim has dragged on and you would like it closed, suggest RateFast to your doctor or insurance carrier.