A. It is the duty of every employer of labor in this state subject to the provisions of the Workers' Compensation Act or the employer's workers' compensation insurance carrier to make a written report to the director of all accidental injuries or occupational diseases that occur to any of his employees during the course of their employment and that result in lost time of an employee of more than seven days. A copy of the report shall be sent by the employer to the worker. Such reports shall be made within ten days after such accidental injury or ten days after notification to the employer of employee disability, upon forms approved by the director and shall contain such information concerning the accident or injury as may be required by the director.
B. Upon request of the director, it is also the duty of every workers' compensation self-insurer and insurance carrier to file with the director closing reports upon the closing of a claim on forms approved by the director. Annual reports will be required on a form approved by the director.
History: Laws 1937, ch. 92, § 14; 1941 Comp., § 57-927; 1953 Comp., § 59-10-27; Laws 1986, ch. 22, § 20; 1987, ch. 235, § 27; 1989, ch. 263, § 34; 1990 (2nd S.S.), ch. 2, § 24.
The 1990 (2nd S.S.) amendment, effective January 1, 1991, divided the preexisting language into Subsections A and B and, in Subsection A, substituted "or occupational diseases that" for "which may" and "that" for "which", added the second sentence, and inserted "or ten days after notification to the employer of employee disability".
Meaning of lost time of more than seven days. — The phrase "result in lost time of an employee of more than seven days" in Subsection A of Section 52-1-58 NMSA 1978 means the employee is unable to work anywhere for more than seven days, regardless of whether the employee actually still works for the employer. Nelson v. Homier Distrib. Co., Inc., 2009-NMCA-125, 147 N.M. 318, 222 P.3d 690.
Where an employee's injury would prevent the employee working for more than seven days following an injury, an employer must file a report. Nelson v. Homier Distrib. Co., Inc., 2009-NMCA-125, 147 N.M. 318, 222 P.3d 690.
Claim files are public records. — The worker's compensation division maintains worker's compensation claim files in the course of its statutory function of adjudicating claims filed by workers, which makes them public records within the meaning of state freedom of information laws. 1988 Op. Att'y Gen. No. 88-16.
Supervisor informed at time of injury. — An employer had adequate notice of a compensable injury where the claimant told his supervisor, at the time he was fitted for hearing aids, that his hearing loss was work-related. The statute of limitations (Section 52-1-31 NMSA 1978) was tolled by the employer's subsequent failure to file a report of the accident. Cisneros v. Molycorp, Inc., 1988-NMCA-080, 107 N.M. 788, 765 P.2d 761, cert. denied, 107 N.M. 785, 765 P.2d 758 (decided under prior law).
Am. Jur. 2d, A.L.R. and C.J.S. references. — 82 Am. Jur. 2d Workers' Compensation § 608.
Employer's tort liability to worker for concealing workplace hazard or nature or extent of injury, 9 A.L.R.4th 778.
Structure New Mexico Statutes
Chapter 52 - Workers' Compensation
Article 1 - Workers' Compensation
Section 52-1-1.1 - Definitions.
Section 52-1-2 - Employers who come within act.
Section 52-1-3 - Workers' compensation coverage; coverage by state agencies.
Section 52-1-3.1 - Public employee.
Section 52-1-4.2 - Controlled insurance plan; penalty.
Section 52-1-5 - Destruction of policies, bonds and undertakings.
Section 52-1-6 - Application of provisions of act.
Section 52-1-6.1 - Worker's compensation; definition.
Section 52-1-6.2 - Safety programs; inspections; penalties; bonuses.
Section 52-1-8 - Defenses to action by employee.
Section 52-1-9 - Right to compensation; exclusive.
Section 52-1-10.1 - Allocation of fault; reimbursement.
Section 52-1-11 - Injuries caused by the willfulness or intention of worker are noncompensable.
Section 52-1-13 - Termination of agreements.
Section 52-1-14 - [Interstate commerce not subject to state legislation exempted.]
Section 52-1-16 - Worker; real estate salesperson excepted.
Section 52-1-19 - Injury by accident; course of employment.
Section 52-1-20 - Determination of average weekly wage.
Section 52-1-22 - Work not casual employment.
Section 52-1-23 - Contractor becoming employer in casual employment.
Section 52-1-24 - Impairment; definition.
Section 52-1-24.1 - Date of maximum medical improvement.
Section 52-1-25 - Permanent total disability.
Section 52-1-25.1 - Temporary total disability; return to work.
Section 52-1-26 - Permanent partial disability.
Section 52-1-26.1 - Partial disability determination; calculation of modifications.
Section 52-1-26.2 - Partial disability determination; age modification.
Section 52-1-26.3 - Partial disability determination; education modification.
Section 52-1-26.4 - Partial disability determination; physical capacity modification.
Section 52-1-28 - Compensable claims; proof.
Section 52-1-28.1 - Unfair claim-processing practices; bad faith.
Section 52-1-28.2 - Retaliation against employee seeking benefits; civil penalty.
Section 52-1-29 - Notice of accident to employer; employer to post clear notice of requirement.
Section 52-1-30 - Payment of compensation benefits; installments.
Section 52-1-32 to 52-1-35 - Repealed.
Section 52-1-36 - Effect of failure of worker to file claim by reason of conduct of employer.
Section 52-1-38 - Judgment; provisions; execution; subrogation; contempts.
Section 52-1-40 - Waiting period.
Section 52-1-41 - Compensation benefits; total disability.
Section 52-1-42 - Compensation benefits; permanent partial disability; maximum duration of benefits.
Section 52-1-43 - Compensation benefits; injury to specific body members.
Section 52-1-44 - Compensation benefits; facial disfigurement.
Section 52-1-46 - Compensation benefits for death.
Section 52-1-47 - Limitations on compensation benefits.
Section 52-1-47.1 - Compensation benefits limit.
Section 52-1-48 - Additional limitation on benefits.
Section 52-1-50.1 - Rehiring of injured workers.
Section 52-1-52 - Exemption from creditors.
Section 52-1-53 - [Accident prevention laws not affected.]
Section 52-1-56 - Diminution; termination or increase of compensation.
Section 52-1-58 - Reports to be filed with director.
Section 52-1-59 - Effect of failure to file report.
Section 52-1-60 - Notice to director of date of payment.
Section 52-1-62 - Director to enforce Workers' Compensation Act.
Section 52-1-63 - Educational institutions exempt.
Section 52-1-64 - Extra-territorial coverage.
Section 52-1-65 - Credit for benefits furnished or paid under laws of other jurisdictions.
Section 52-1-67 - Locale of employment; definitions.
Section 52-1-68 - Reciprocal recognition of extra-territorial coverage with other jurisdictions.
Section 52-1-70 - Offset of unemployment compensation benefits.