Accident on the job ("Bedrijfsongeval")

In the Accident Insurance Act is stated that employees have a right to compensation in connection with an accident that he/she has met with in connection with his/her employment.

An accident is considered “bedrijfsongeval” when:

• An employee has a sudden accident while performing work which results in him/her being unfit for work, or for which medical treatment is required.
  Disability (causing the employee to be unfit for work) occurs in the following cases:

1. In the event that the employee is not able to work during 24 hours or longer as a consequence of an accident.
2. If the employee is not allowed to work temporarily in connection with a medical examination or in connection with the fact, that by working, his recovery is obstructed.
3. If the employee may not work in connection with the risk of infection for others.

• An employee has an accident on their way to and from work provided they have taken the shortest route either to or from work.
  
  

Who

All employees are covered for Accident Insurance regardless of their salary.

Exempted employees are:

• Employees who are self-employed and considered employers by the SZV
• Parents and children living in the family home of the employer unless they have a regular employment relationship with the employer and are paid according to industry standards
• Domestic staff
• At-home workers
• Captain or crewmembers of a Sint Maarten flagged ship
• Civil Servants
• Owner of a sole proprietorship and spouse of a sole proprietor
  
  

Procedure

1. Request a “bedrijfsongeval” /accident on the job claim form from your employer and make sure that he/she fills out the employer part of the form completely and dates and signs it. This is called the “white card”.
2. Take this form to the doctor who gave you the first treatment and have him/her complete it
3. Personally, hand the form, completed by your doctor, to the SZV Control Doctor on the 3rd day

Please note:

• If SZV’s physician does not confirm the illness of an employee due to an accident on the job on the 3rd day of the accident, the employer will not receive a loss of wages compensation. In other words, only if the period of unfitness for work is longer than 2 days, the employer will receive the loss of wages compensation from the 1st day. If the period of unfitness for work is only 1 day, the employer has no right to receive a loss of wages compensation.
  
  

What to bring

• Your SVZ Insurance Card
• The “bedrijfsongeval”/accident on the job claim form filled out and signed by your employer and completed by the doctor who provided the first treatment
  
  

FAQ’s

What happens if after one year I am still unable to work?

• If you remain 100% disabled, you will start receiving 80% of the daily pay after the first year.
• In the event of partial or permanent disability, you will receive an accident pay in accordance with the occupational disability percentage.

Please note:

• For the employer to be entitled to loss of wages compensation, the SZV control doctor must confirm the disability of an employee by means of signing off the Accident on the Job claim form.
• The employer will lose his right to collect loss of wages, if he has not submitted a written request for loss of wages to which he is entitled within two years of his right to the loss of wages becoming payable.

The duration of the loss of wages compensation under the Accident Insurance Ordinance is dependent on the report of the SZV control doctor and will be paid in the following manner:

1. 100% of the insured daily wages during the first (1^st) year.
2. 80% of the insured daily wages during the subsequent years, if the employee remains 100% unable to perform his/her duties due to the accident.
3. In the event that the employee remains partially or completely permanent disabled, the employee will receive an accident insurance benefit in accordance with the occupational disability percentage.

This accident insurance benefit will be paid up to the maximum of the wage limit of the Sickness Insurance Ordinance. If an employee earns more than the maximum wage mentioned in the Sickness Insurance Ordinance, the insurance benefit is capped at this wage limit.