If your Indiana work-injury benefits have stalled — a surgery that will not get authorized, a temporary total disability check that never arrives, or an adjuster who stops returning calls — you do not have to jump straight to a courtroom-style hearing. Indiana has a built-in, no-cost informal step, and it begins with a document called a Request for Assistance. This guide explains what that form is, what the Board can and cannot do with it, how it differs from a formal claim, and the documents worth gathering first, all grounded in the official rules published by the Worker's Compensation Board of Indiana[1].
Key takeaways
- A Request for Assistance is Indiana State Form 45442, and it launches the Board's informal dispute resolution process.
- Filing it authorizes a Board Case Coordinator to contact the parties and investigate, aiming to resolve the problem without a formal hearing.
- It is free, and you can file it yourself — you are not required to have a lawyer to use the informal process.
- The informal process does not produce a binding, appealable order the way a formal hearing does. If you are unhappy with the result, the remedy is the formal hearing process.
- The formal process is started by a different form — the Application for Adjustment of Claim (State Form 29109).
- The Board also offers mediation for informal and formal disputes. A mediated settlement is still not valid until a Board member approves it.
- Deadlines still run in the background. Under Indiana law, a claim generally must be filed with the Board within two years of the accident, so using the informal process does not pause the clock on your formal filing rights.
What a Request for Assistance actually is
The Worker's Compensation Board of Indiana offers alternative dispute resolution services designed to settle disagreements between injured workers and employers or insurance carriers without going through a formal hearing. According to the Board[1], the informal dispute process is initiated by filing a completed Request for Assistance — State Form 45442 — with the Board.
Think of it as a formal way to ask a neutral state agency to step in and untangle a problem. Filing the form authorizes the Board's Case Coordinators to conduct an inquiry or investigation into the matter in an attempt to bring the claim to a resolution. It is not a lawsuit, it is not a hearing before a judge, and it does not require you to prove your case with evidence and testimony. It is a request for help. If a government body or employee may be involved, review our Indiana government tort claim notice guide, because notice deadlines can be much shorter than the ordinary injury filing period.
What problems it can address
The informal process is built for the kinds of day-to-day administration disputes that stall a claim. Common examples an injured worker in Fort Wayne or Allen County might raise include:
- Medical treatment or a procedure that the carrier has not authorized.
- Temporary total disability (TTD) or temporary partial disability (TPD) checks that are late, stopped, or the wrong amount.
- Difficulty reaching the adjuster or getting a straight answer about the claim's status.
- Disputes over mileage reimbursement or a permanent partial impairment (PPI) rating and payment.
- Confusion about who is responsible for a bill or whether care was properly denied.
These are claim-administration issues, not medical advice questions. The Case Coordinator does not decide your diagnosis or dictate your treatment — that stays between you and the treating physician. If your dispute is really about who controls your authorized medical care in an Indiana workers' comp claim, the informal process can help push a stalled authorization forward, but it will not order a specific medical outcome.
How the informal process works, step by step
Once the Board receives your Request for Assistance, the sequence is straightforward:
- You file State Form 45442 with the Board, describing the problem and identifying the employer and carrier.
- A Case Coordinator is assigned. That coordinator contacts the involved parties and initiates an administrative inquiry.
- The coordinator gathers information from you, the employer, and the insurer to understand what is happening and why.
- An attempt at resolution. Ideally, the dispute is resolved at this stage without any hearing.
- If the answer is unfavorable and you want to challenge it, you move to the formal hearing process.
The Board is explicit[1] that if the response received is not favorable to the requesting party and that party wishes to appeal it, the only legal remedy is the formal hearing process. In other words, the informal route is a genuine attempt to fix things quickly — but it is not the end of the road, and it is not binding in the way a hearing decision is.
Informal vs. formal: Request for Assistance vs. Application for Adjustment of Claim
This is the distinction that trips up the most people. Indiana has two separate tracks with two separate forms, and knowing which is which protects your rights.
| Feature | Request for Assistance (informal) | Application for Adjustment of Claim (formal) |
|---|---|---|
| State form | SF 45442 | SF 29109 |
| What it starts | Informal dispute resolution / Board inquiry | Formal hearing before a Board member |
| Who handles it | Board Case Coordinator | Single Hearing Member (judge role) |
| Style | Investigation and negotiation, no hearing | Evidence, testimony, legal argument |
| Result | Attempted resolution; not a binding appealable order | Binding decision that can be appealed to the Full Board |
| Cost | Free | Free to file; litigation costs may apply |
| Best for | Delays, communication breakdowns, stalled authorizations | Denied claims and genuine legal/factual disputes |
Mediation sits between the two tracks; the next section compares all three. If your claim has been outright denied rather than merely delayed, the formal Application for Adjustment of Claim is usually the more appropriate path. Our guide on what to do if your Indiana workers' compensation claim is denied walks through that scenario in detail. You can review both forms on the Board's official forms page[2].
Which process fits the dispute: informal assistance, mediation, or a formal claim?
Indiana gives an injured worker three doors, and they are not steps you must take in order. A Request for Assistance asks the Board to look into a stalled claim. Mediation puts both sides in a room with a neutral to negotiate a disputed issue. An Application for Adjustment of Claim asks a Board hearing member to decide the dispute and enter a binding award. The Board offers mediation services for formal and informal disputes[1], so mediation can happen before any formal filing or after one.
| Question | Request for Assistance | Board mediation | Application for Adjustment of Claim |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | A written request (SF 45442) that a Board Case Coordinator inquire into a claim problem | A negotiation session led by a certified neutral mediator | A formal claim (SF 29109) that starts the hearing process |
| Who runs it | Board Case Coordinator | A Board mediator, or a registered outside mediator the parties choose | Single Hearing Member, with review by the Full Board |
| What it costs | Free | Board mediators charge a flat rate for up to five hours, with an hourly charge after that; outside mediators set their own fees | Free to file; litigation costs may apply |
| What it can produce | A quicker answer on authorization, payment, or communication | A settlement both sides accept, which still needs Board approval | A written award with findings and conclusions that can be appealed |
| What it does not do | Decide the dispute or bind anyone | Decide anything; the parties, not the mediator, choose whether to settle | Resolve quickly; hearings are scheduled on the Board calendar |
| Fits best when | Benefits are late, treatment is unauthorized, or the adjuster is not responding | Both sides want a resolution but disagree on value, a rating, or future care | The claim is denied, the facts are genuinely disputed, or the two-year deadline is close |
The Board publishes its mediation program details[3], including the fee set by 631 IAC 1-1-33 (a flat $350 for up to five hours and $50 for each additional hour as of this writing) and the names of its certified mediators. A worker can contact a Board mediator directly, or search the registered-mediator directory for someone outside the Board. Our guide to Indiana workers' comp mediation and settlement conferences explains how to prepare for the session itself.
Two rules keep the three doors from being confused with each other. First, a mediated or negotiated settlement is not valid until a member of the Board approves it; Indiana Code § 22-3-2-15[4] says so, and a Board member may not approve an agreement that does not reflect the worker's rights under the Act. Second, neither a Request for Assistance nor a mediation session is a filing of the claim. The Board's disputed-claims page[5] states that the Application for Adjustment of Claim must be filed within two years of the date of injury, and the Board does not describe informal activity as satisfying that requirement. If talks are productive but the two-year mark is near, the Application can be filed and the conversation can continue.
- Start with a Request for Assistance when the problem is a delay, a stalled authorization, or a communication breakdown, and the other side has not actually denied anything.
- Ask about mediation when both sides accept that benefits are owed but disagree on a permanent partial impairment rating, future medical care, or settlement terms.
- File an Application for Adjustment of Claim when the claim has been denied, the facts of the injury are disputed, the informal answer was unfavorable, or the two-year deadline is approaching.
- Combine them when it helps. A filed Application does not prevent mediation, and a Case Coordinator's inquiry can continue while a formal claim is pending.
Deadlines still matter — the informal process does not stop the clock
Using the informal process feels reassuring, and it should. But it is important to understand that a Request for Assistance is not the same as filing a claim to protect your legal deadline. Under Indiana law, the right to compensation is generally barred unless a claim is filed with the Board within two years after the accident. That deadline lives in Indiana Code § 22-3-3-3[6].
Separately, Indiana law requires that you give your employer notice of the injury as soon as practicable, and generally within thirty days, under Indiana Code § 22-3-3-1[7]. We cover both timelines in how soon you have to report a work injury in Indiana and the deadline to file a workers' compensation claim in Indiana. The practical point: if you are near the two-year mark, do not assume an informal Request for Assistance preserves your formal filing rights — it does not replace filing an Application for Adjustment of Claim.
Documents worth gathering before you file
The more organized your Request for Assistance, the faster a Case Coordinator can investigate. Gathering these before you file makes the process smoother:
| Document | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| Claim number and carrier name | Lets the coordinator locate the file immediately |
| Date and description of the injury | Establishes the basic facts of the claim |
| Dates you reported the injury and to whom | Shows notice was given |
| Copies of denial or authorization letters | Pinpoints exactly what is disputed |
| Pay stubs or benefit-check records | Documents late, missing, or miscalculated TTD/TPD payments |
| Medical records and off-work slips | Connects the requested benefit to the treating doctor's orders |
| A log of calls and emails with the adjuster | Demonstrates a communication breakdown |
If your dispute involves how your wage-loss checks were calculated, it helps to understand how your average weekly wage is calculated for Indiana workers' comp before you file, so you can point the coordinator to the specific error.
Do you need a lawyer to file one?
No. The informal process is designed to be accessible, and an injured worker can file a Request for Assistance without an attorney. For a straightforward delay — a check that is a few weeks late, a stalled authorization — the informal process may resolve it on its own.
That said, the informal route has limits. It does not produce a binding order, and if the outcome is unfavorable your next step is the formal hearing process, where evidence, testimony, and legal argument matter. If your benefits have been denied, if a permanent impairment rating is in dispute, or if you are approaching a filing deadline, it is reasonable to talk with a Fort Wayne workers' compensation attorney about whether the informal step or a formal Application for Adjustment of Claim fits your situation. Workers across Allen County and northeast Indiana can reach our office through the Allen County workers' compensation team. Our Indiana workers’ compensation PPI calculator can help estimate how a rating may translate into statutory weeks and dollars, subject to the facts of the claim.
Frequently asked questions
What form number is a Request for Assistance in Indiana?
It is Indiana State Form 45442. Filing it with the Worker's Compensation Board of Indiana begins the Board's informal dispute resolution process.
Does it cost anything to file a Request for Assistance?
No. The Board's informal dispute process is a free service intended to resolve disagreements between injured workers and employers or carriers without a formal hearing.
Is the outcome of the informal process binding?
No. The informal process is an attempt at resolution, not a binding, appealable order. If the response is not favorable and you want to challenge it, the Board states the only legal remedy is the formal hearing process.
How is it different from an Application for Adjustment of Claim?
A Request for Assistance (SF 45442) starts the informal process handled by a Case Coordinator. An Application for Adjustment of Claim (SF 29109) starts the formal hearing process before a Board hearing member, which produces a binding decision that can be appealed to the Full Board.
Does filing a Request for Assistance protect my two-year deadline?
You should not assume so. Indiana Code § 22-3-3-3[8] generally requires a claim to be filed with the Board within two years of the accident. The informal request is not a substitute for filing a formal claim, so if you are near the deadline, speak with an attorney promptly.
How much does Board mediation cost in an Indiana workers' comp case?
The Board's mediation page states that Board mediators charge a flat rate for up to five hours and an hourly rate after that under 631 IAC 1-1-33, currently $350 and $50. Outside registered mediators set their own fees, so ask before scheduling.
Does mediation or a Request for Assistance stop the two-year clock?
Do not count on it. The Board says the Application for Adjustment of Claim must be filed within two years of the injury, and it does not describe a Request for Assistance or a mediation session as a filing. Near the deadline, file the Application even while informal talks continue.
Who can file a Request for Assistance?
An injured worker can file it directly with the Board — you are not required to have a lawyer. Employers and carriers can also use the process, but it is most often used by workers trying to move a stalled claim forward.
A calm next step
A Request for Assistance can be a genuinely useful tool when an Indiana work-injury claim has stalled over authorization, payment, or communication. But because it does not stop deadlines and does not produce a binding order, it helps to understand where it fits before you rely on it. If you were hurt on the job and are not sure whether the informal process or a formal claim is right for your situation, a free consultation can help you understand your options. Delventhal Law Office can review what happened, explain the deadlines that may apply, and help you decide the next step. You do not have to figure out the Indiana workers' compensation system alone — you can contact our Fort Wayne office to talk it through.
This article is general information about Indiana workers' compensation procedure and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship, and neither does contacting us. If you do contact us about a possible claim, Indiana Rule of Professional Conduct 1.18 requires us to keep what you tell us confidential whether or not we take the case — but please do not send documents or detailed facts until we have agreed in writing to represent you. For advice about your specific claim, speak with a qualified Indiana attorney.
