Injury at work / occupational disease – short-term benefits

According to Croatian legislation, injury at work is:
1. An injury caused by immediate and short-term mechanical, physical or chemical action or injury caused by sudden changes in body position, sudden body load or other changes in the physiological state of the body, if it is causally related to the performance of the work or activity on the basis of which the injured person is insured in compulsory health insurance, as well as injury resulting from compulsory conditional training related to maintenance of psycho-physical fitness to perform certain tasks, in accordance with special regulations,
2. A disease caused directly and exclusively by an accident or force majeure during the work or performance of an activity or in connection with the performance of that activity on the basis of which the person is insured in the compulsory health insurance,
3. An injury incurred in the same way to the insured person on a regular commuting from the apartment to the workplace and vice versa, and on the journey undertaken to enter into a job position, or to a job on the basis of which he or she is insured in the compulsory health insurance,
4. Injuries or diseases referred to in items 1 and 2 occurring in insured persons in special circumstances (regular education, practical classes, rescue operations, military service, etc.).
Occupational disease is a disease caused by long-term direct impact of the work process and working conditions on certain jobs.

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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

1. How to initiate the procedure for determination and recognition of injury at work / occupational disease in Croatia?

The procedure is initiated by submitting the form “Application for injury at work” or “Application for occupational disease” to the regional office or branch office of the Croatian Health Insurance Fund (HZZO) competent according to the place of residence or temporary residence of the insured person and may also be submitted to the regional office or branch office of the Croatian Health Insurance Fund according to the employer’s seat.

Injury at work

Occupational disease

2. Who submits an application for injury at work / application for occupational disease?

A legal or natural person, or a government body as an employer and the organizer of certain tasks and activities are obliged to submit a report of an injury at work or an occupational disease ex officio or at the request of an injured or sick worker, or an insured person who is provided with rights in the event of an injury at work or an occupational disease.

If the employer or the organizer of certain activities and tasks does not act in accordance with the above, the application must be submitted by the selected general/family medicine practitioner at the request of the injured or sick insured person, or at the proposal of the competent occupational medicine specialist.

3. What are the rights from compulsory health insurance in case of injury at work / occupational disease?

Within the scope of compulsory health insurance, persons insured in Croatian Health Insurance Fund are provided with:

The right to specific health care services for workers, who are provided with measures of specific health care for workers implemented by occupational / occupational and sports medicine specialists, in accordance with the law governing health care and special laws and ordinances adopted on the basis of these laws.
Rights in case of recognized injury at work or recognized occupational disease.

Rights in case of recognized injury at work, or recognized occupational disease are further divided into:

The right to health care and
The right to monetary benefits:

– salary compensation during temporary incapacity for work caused by a recognized injury at work or occupational disease;

– reimbursement of transport costs related to the use of health care services provided via compulsory health insurance, resulting from a recognized injury at work or occupational disease; and

– compensation for funeral costs in the event of the death of an insured person if the death is the direct result of a recognized injury at work or occupational disease.