it is not uncommon for minor injuries to go unreported The employee may be given the rest of the day off or treated with first aid and returned to work this is done to avoid time-consuming paperwork and to hold down the cost of work-ers compensation insurance However if an accident results in a serious injury several agencies must be notified what constitutes a serious injury like many workers compensation issues can differ from state to state However as a rule an injury is serious if it requires over 24 hours of active medical treatment (this dose not include passive treatment such as observation) Of course a fatality a major disfigurement or the loss of a limb or digit is also considered serious and must be reported