34:15-96 First report of accident.

34:15-96. First report of accident. Every employer who has made provisions for payment of obligations to an injured employee as required by article 5 of this chapter (R.S.34:15-70 et seq.) shall, upon the happening of any accident or the occurrence of any compensable occupational disease in its establishment, promptly furnish the insurance carrier, or the third party administrator, if applicable, with information necessary to enable it to carry out the intent of this chapter. Within three weeks after learning of an accident, or obtaining knowledge of the occurrence of a compensable occupational disease, every insurance carrier, third party administrator, statutory non-insured employer, including the State, county, municipality or school district, and duly authorized self-insured employer not utilizing a third party administrator shall file a report designated as "first notice of accident" in electronic data interchange media with the Division of Workers' Compensation through the Compensation Rating and Inspection Bureau in a format prescribed by the Compensation Rating and Inspection Bureau with a report sent to the employer. The reports, if filed through interim vendors, shall not be used for any purpose other than formatting and transmitting this information to the Compensation Rating and Inspection Bureau and the Division of Workers' Compensation. For purposes of this section, "interim vendor" means a software supplier, network service provider, programming consultants or an insurance support organization, except that an insurance support organization may disclose the information to prevent the misrepresentation or nondisclosure of information which is material to an insurance claim.

If the employer disagrees with the report, the employer may prepare and sign an amended report and file it with the insurance carrier, or third party administrator, if applicable. Any resultant change shall be filed by the insurance carrier, or third party administrator, if applicable, with the Division of Workers' Compensation through the Compensation Rating and Inspection Bureau as provided for in this section.

The Compensation Rating and Inspection Bureau shall make provisions to insure that information received pursuant to this section shall be readily available to the Division of Workers' Compensation or any person authorized by the Commissioner of Labor pursuant to R.S.34:15-99.

Amended 2001, c.326, s.1.