1. NOTIFICATION
Following a work-related injury or disease, an employee should report his injury or disease to his or her immediate supervisor, foreman, or other person in charge as soon as possible and not later than 45 days following the date of the accident. Your notification should include the time, place, and general description of the accident. Notice can be oral or in writing. There are several exceptions to this rule; therefore, you should contact an attorney even if you do not believe you gave notice within this time period.

2. TIME LIMIT TO FILE A CLAIM
The general rule is that an employee should file an Application for Benefits with the Industrial Commission not later than three (3) years after the accident or two (2) years after he or she stopped receiving benefits, whichever occurs later. Special time limits apply for death claims and occupational disease. As a general rule, merely being off work without weekly compensation will not extend the time for filing a claim. However, there are exceptions to the general rules outlined above.