---
title: "How does a federal employee report a traumatic workplace injury? Answer in under 100 words. Cite only eCFR (www.ecfr.gov) sources."
canonical: https://www.m-i-n-d.ai/minds/workers-comp/how-to-report-federal-workplace-injury
jurisdiction: "US Federal"
last_verified: 2026-08-27
license: CC BY 4.0 — https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
attribution: "Source: MIND (m-i-n-d.ai)"
---

# How does a federal employee report a traumatic workplace injury? Answer in under 100 words. Cite only eCFR (www.ecfr.gov) sources.

To claim FECA benefits for a work-related traumatic injury, a federal employee must give written notice on Form CA-1 to the employer, including the injured employee's Social Security Number, and submit the notice electronically where feasible. Under 20 CFR 10.100, the notice must be filed within three years of the injury for injuries sustained on or after September 7, 1974, or within 30 days if the employer had actual knowledge. Form CA-1 may be obtained from the employer or at www.dol.gov.

## How it works

An employee who sustains a work-related traumatic injury must give written notice of the injury on **Form CA-1**, which may be obtained from the employer or from the Internet at **www.dol.gov** under forms. The employee must forward this notice to the employer. Another person, including the employer, may give notice of injury on the employee's behalf. The person submitting a notice shall include the Social Security Number (SSN) of the injured employee. All such notices should be submitted electronically wherever feasible to facilitate processing of such claims. Form CA-1 is the official document specified in § 10.100 as the required written notice of a traumatic injury under FECA.

## Numbers & thresholds

| Item | Threshold / Deadline |
|------|---------------------|
| Filing deadline (injuries on/after Sept. 7, 1974) | Within **3 years** of the injury |
| Excuse window — notice given within | **30 days** of occurrence |
| Excuse window — employer actual knowledge within | **30 days** after occurrence |
| Statutory basis for notice requirements | 5 U.S.C. 8119 |
| Electronic-submission capability deadline | December 31, 2012 (for employers without such capability) |
| Required identifier on the notice | Social Security Number (SSN) of the injured employee |

## Exceptions & edge cases

If the claim is not filed within three years, compensation may still be allowed if notice of injury was given within 30 days **or** the employer had actual knowledge of the injury or death within 30 days after occurrence. Such actual knowledge may consist of written records, verbal notification, or an entry into an employee's medical record sufficient to place the employer on notice of a possible work-related injury or disease. OWCP may excuse failure to comply with the three-year time requirement because of truly exceptional circumstances (e.g., being held prisoner of war). In cases of latent disability, the time for filing does not begin to run until the employee has a compensable disability and is aware, or reasonably should have been aware, of the causal relationship between the disability and the employment (see 5 U.S.C. 8122(b)).

## Sources

- [1] U.S. Government Publishing Office / Department of Labor / OWCP — 20 CFR 10.100 — How to file a notice of traumatic injury under FECA · https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-20/section-10.100 · as of 2026-08-27