The costliest mistake is not reporting it immediately and telling the worker to use regular health insurance or "wait and see." That can turn one claim into a much uglier one.

From the insurance company's perspective, they want this framed as a straightforward Hawaii workers' compensation claim: no-fault, handled through comp, and usually the worker cannot sue the employer in civil court for an ordinary on-the-job injury. They also want quick notice, basic facts, and no side arguments about blame on day one.

In reality, you need to do three things fast.

First: get the injury reported to your workers' comp carrier right away and complete the employer injury report for Hawaii's Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Disability Compensation Division. In Hawaii, employers are expected to report a work injury promptly; waiting is where money starts leaking.

Second: do not tell the employee to use private insurance, paid time off, or "light duty" before a doctor gives restrictions. If a doctor clears restricted work, offer duty that truly fits those limits. If it does not, forcing the issue can create retaliation problems. Hawaii law does not look kindly on punishing someone for pursuing comp benefits.

Third: understand that workers' comp may protect you, but not everyone else. If your flagger in a Kailua-Kona roadwork zone was hit by a passing driver, a subcontractor's truck, or defective equipment near Queen Kaahumanu Highway or another lane-shift project, the worker may have a third-party claim against that driver, company, or manufacturer. That is separate from comp.

The worker can usually pursue comp medical treatment right away, and if the claim gets denied, the dispute goes through the Disability Compensation Division rather than just ending because the carrier said no.