Received a Form 43? Next Steps for a Connecticut Workers’ Compensation Dispute
A workplace injury can leave you worried about treatment, missed wages and whether your employer’s insurance will help. Receiving a Form 43 may make that uncertainty worse. Before assuming your case is over, find out exactly what the notice disputes and organize the information needed to respond.
What a Form 43 means
Connecticut’s Workers’ Compensation Commission describes Form 43 as the employer’s or insurance carrier’s notice that it intends to deny all or part of a workers’ compensation claim. The form communicates a disputed position; it is not itself an administrative law judge’s decision on your claim. The difference matters when you are deciding what to do next.
Read the stated reasons carefully. Is the dispute about whether the injury happened at work, a particular body part or a specific benefit? Do not assume a notice challenging one issue necessarily addresses every aspect of your claim. Bring the complete form to your attorney rather than relying on a telephone explanation or a cropped photograph.
Preserve the notice and a clear timeline
Keep every page, the envelope and any accompanying letter or email. Write down when you received them. Save the claim number and the names and contact information of the employer, carrier and adjuster. Keep originals and make a readable digital copy.
Prepare a short timeline covering the injury, your report to a supervisor, your first medical visit, time missed from work and any payments received. Mark dates you cannot recall as approximate. Separate facts you personally remember from information someone else supplied. A clear record helps an attorney identify the dispute without guessing.
Check your claim paperwork
An employer’s incident report and an employee’s formal claim are different documents. The Commission’s Form 30C instructions specifically warn that a simple accident report filed with an employer is not an official workers’ compensation claim. Form 30C is the Commission’s recommended notice of claim.
Bring any Form 30C you submitted, copies of other claim notices and proof of delivery. If you only reported the accident to your supervisor, say so. Filing deadlines, service requirements and exceptions require attention; do not assume that receiving a claim number or a Form 43 proves you have satisfied every requirement. Have your specific paperwork and dates reviewed promptly.
Gather records that address the actual disagreement
Collect treatment notes, diagnostic reports, written work restrictions and records of missed wages. Preserve photographs, witness contact information and messages about how the injury occurred. If the carrier questions a particular injury, identify which medical records discuss that condition and your work activities.
Keep a separate list of unanswered questions: Is treatment being delayed? Have wage payments stopped? Has a hearing already been scheduled? Provide accurate information about prior injuries when asked. Do not alter records or fill gaps with guesses. You do not need a perfect file before seeking advice; bring what you have and identify what is missing.
Ask about a hearing and next steps
The Commission states that workers whose benefits are delayed or denied may request a hearing with an administrative law judge. A hearing request is an available step, not a promise that benefits will be awarded. An attorney can discuss which issues should be raised and what supporting information is needed.
Before signing settlement paperwork or agreeing to a proposed resolution, ask what it means for the disputed benefits and your claim. Keep copies of everything you receive and calendar any hearing notices.
Talk with a Hartford attorney
Law Offices of Arnaldo J. Sierra, LLC can discuss your Connecticut workers’ compensation dispute and the records needed to evaluate it. Call (860) 527-2345 to request a consultation at our Hartford office, 215 Washington Street. Se habla español.
This article provides general information, not advice about a particular claim.
Leer en español: https://www.attorneyhartford.net/blog/compensacion-laboral-connecticut-formulario-43
Official Connecticut sources, reviewed October 8, 2026:
Form 43 explanation: https://portal.ct.gov/wcc/knowledge-base/articles/forms/employer-forms
Claims and hearing forms: https://portal.ct.gov/wcc/news-and-resources/forms
Form 30C and instructions: https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/WCC/forms/claim-forms/30C-2022.pdf
