Division of Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation (DLHWC)
LONGSHORE FAQ TOPICS |
DISCLAIMER: The OWCP Longshore Frequently Asked Questions and responses ("FAQs") were created solely to assist employees and employers in gaining a general understanding of portions of the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act ("LHWCA") and its extension acts. These FAQs may not constitute the complete or official opinion of the Department of Labor, the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs, or the Division of Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation on any subject. This page does not necessarily contain an exhaustive or current treatment of the LHWCA and its extension acts and should not, under any circumstances, substitute for a party's own research into the statutory, regulatory, and case law authorities on any given subject addressed by the following FAQs. The FAQs are an informational tool, not a final authority, and should not be cited or otherwise considered an authoritative statement of agency policy.
1. What changes are being made effective March 1, 2018?
The Division of Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation (DLHWC) is consolidating its case create and mail receipt processes to a centralized location.
A. Submission of forms for NEW reports of injury should no longer be sent to the New York office they should instead be:
- Faxed to the Case Create Fax: (202) 513-6814 - this is the preferred method for receiving "case create" forms.
- Mail case create forms to the Jacksonville DLHWC District Office. The Jacksonville District Office is the Central Case Create site and will create cases for all injuries/deaths under the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act (LHWCA), and its extensions, for all district offices regardless of where the injury occurred or where the injured worker resides.
OR (if unable to fax):
B. For submission of all non-case create mail please use the SEAPortal this is the preferred method for receiving all non-case create documents. The Jacksonville DLHWC District Office remains the Central Mail Receipt site and will receive all case specific mail after the creation of a case regardless of the owning district office.
2. Where do I send new reports of injury/deaths?
- Fax to the Case Create Fax: (202) 513-6814 - this is the preferred method for receiving "case create" forms.
- Mail case create forms to the Jacksonville DLHWC District Office. The Jacksonville District Office is the Central Case Create site and will create cases for all injuries/deaths under the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act (LHWCA), and its extensions, for all district offices regardless of where the injury occurred or where the injured worker resides.
OR (if unable to fax):
3. What forms should be submitted to the Central Case Create site to have a case created?
As long as a case has not already been created and assigned an OWCP File No., the following forms (with any applicable attachments) should be submitted for the creation of a case:
- LS-201 (Notice of Employee's Injury or Death)
- LS-202 (Employer's First Report of Injury or Occupational Illness)
- LS-203 (Employee's Claim for Compensation)
- LS-262 (Claim for Death Benefits)
Note that all fields on the form submitted must be completed and legible to facilitate accurate creation of the case.
4. Should I submit only the case create form by itself to the Central Case Create site? What if there are attachments?
If you have attachments to the case create form, e.g. a Notice of Representation or medical evidence, those documents can be submitted with the case create form. After the initial submission though, you should wait to receive a case number and then submit additional documentation, with the case number, to the Central Mail Receipt site.
5. Have the reporting requirements for new injuries/deaths changed?
No. The reporting requirements have not changed. All deaths and injuries that result in loss of one or more shifts from work should still be reported within 10 days from either the date of injury or death or the employer's knowledge of an employee's injury or death pursuant to the LHWCA Section 30 and 20 C.F.R. 702.201.
6. How are cases created and assigned to individual district offices?
Cases are created and assigned based on the employee's home address with a prefix that coincides with the owning District Office. For example, if an injured worker lives in Texas the case falls within the Houston District Office's jurisdiction, so the case will be assigned the prefix 08 in the OWCP File No.
DLHWC district offices are located in Boston (01), New York (02), Norfolk (05), Jacksonville (06), New Orleans (07), Houston (08), San Francisco (13), Long Beach (18), and Seattle (14). Office contact information can be found on the DLHWC's internet site in the Contact Us section .
7. How do I know which individual district office has jurisdiction of a case once it is created?
When a case is created, standard notices will be sent to the injured worker and the employer/carrier that will include the case number and the assigned district office that will manage the case. Also, the OWCP File No. prefix will help identify the owning district office. However, regardless of the district office having jurisdiction, all case-specific mail should be sent to our Central Mail Receipt site in Jacksonville.
8. Can reports of injury be submitted by fax?
Yes. Please fax new reports of injury to the Case Create Fax: (202) 513-6814 - this is the preferred method for receiving "case create" forms.
9. Can I contact the Central Case Create site in Jacksonville to check on the status of the creation of case?
No. The claims staff in the Jacksonville District Office cannot provide you with the status of a particular case that is being created. New cases are generally created within 5 business days of receipt of the forms mentioned above in Question #3. If a case has not been created within that time frame, check with the District Office that should have jurisdiction of the case for instructions.
10. Where do I send mail after a case has been created?
U. S. Department of Labor
Office of Workers' Compensation Programs
Division of Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation
400 West Bay Street, Suite 63A, Box 28
Jacksonville, FL 32202
11. Can mail be submitted by fax?
You are encouraged to submit documents via mail and reserve submitting documents via fax to more urgent or time sensitive matters. If it is necessary to send a document via fax, do not submit the same document by mail, unless requested.
12. Do I need to submit multiple copies of forms?
One copy of a document is sufficient. There is no need to file more than one copy of forms and documents. Only submit a single LS-18, LS-202, LS-203, LS-206, LS-207, LS-208, LS-262, Section 8(f) and 8(i) applications, etc.
13. Should I submit checks directly to the Central Mail site?
No. All checks payable to the Department of Labor - DLHWC should be sent to the DLHWC Chief - Branch of Financial Management, Insurance and Assessments, Washington, DC. All checks must reference the injured workers' name and case number. If the check is in response to a letter from the District Office, a transmittal letter explaining the purpose of the check should be included.
U. S. Department of Labor
Office of Workers' Compensation Programs
Division of Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation
200 Constitution Avenue, Room C-4319
Washington, DC 20210
14. Can mail still be sent to the individual district offices too?
No. Case specific mail should not be sent to the individual district offices. All mail should be sent to the Central Mail Receipt site in Jacksonville. However, you can send non-case specific mail directly to the district office to the attention of the District Director. Examples include: jurisdictional inquiries, requests to visit an office, etc.
15. If I mail case specific documents to an individual office, what happens?
Documents specific to a case should not be sent to any location other than the Central Case Create and Central Mail Receipt site. In the event documents are erroneously mailed to another district office, they will be forwarded to either the Central Case Create or Central Mail Receipt site.
16. What happens to correspondence if submitted without referencing the OWCP File No.?
If a matching case number is found, it is associated with the file; otherwise, one of the following actions is taken:
- A new case is created, depending on the type of document; or
- The document is returned to the sender, if able to be identified, with instructions to resubmit the document with the file number or with a case create form.
17. Can I contact the Central Mail Receipt site in Jacksonville to determine whether my document has been received and uploaded to the case file?
No. The claims staff in the Jacksonville District Office cannot provide you with information concerning a particular document, unless of course Jacksonville is the owning District Office.
18. Are there any documents that should not be submitted through the Central Case Create and Central Mail Receipt sites?
There are very few exceptions. All checks payable to the Department of Labor - DLHWC and inquiries concerning insurance authorizations and assessments should be sent to the DLHWC Chief - Branch of Financial Management, Insurance and Assessments, Washington, DC. All checks must reference the injured workers' name and case number.
19. Does everything get scanned into the imaged file?
Yes. All case specific documents for DLHWC's administrative file are scanned and electronically uploaded into the file.
20. How does the Claims Examiner in a District Office receive documents that have been submitted to the Central Case Create or Central Mail Receipt site?
Documents are imaged by the Central Case Create and Central Mail Receipt sites. They are then uploaded to the specific electronic case file. The Claims Examiner in the owning district office can then view the new document(s) in the case file.
GUIDELINES FOR DOCUMENT SUBMISSION
21. How should documents be submitted to the Central Case Create and Central Mail Receipt sites for the most efficient processing?
To facilitate efficient and timely processing of documents, please adhere to the following:
a) Reference the OWCP File No. on every page of the document.
b) Use standard letter sized paper, (8 1/2 x 11), with no extending labels or tabs.
c) If a document is smaller than standard sized paper, e.g. prescription receipts, photographs, change of address cards, etc., copy it on to or tape it to letter sized paper.
d) Do not reference multiple injured workers' names and case numbers in a single document; such documents cannot be placed into the file without manual redaction of the other individuals' personally identifiable information (PII).
e) Avoid submitting duplicate or multiple copies of documents. One copy is sufficient.
f) If a document is sent via fax, do not follow it with an original mailing unless the Claims Examiner specifically requests you to do so.
g) Avoid the use of colored paper and colored ink.
h) Complete all fields on forms and ensure forms are legible.
i) If a document pertains to the DOL Vocational Rehabilitation program, the envelope or document should clearly reference "Rehab Mail."