OWCP Form CA-2: Occupational Disease Claims for Federal Employees
Form CA-2 is for an occupational disease or illness: a condition caused or made worse by work factors over more than one work shift, such as carpal tunnel from repetitive motion or back problems from years of lifting.
Who completes it
You complete the employee section, including a detailed statement of the work factors you believe caused the condition. Your supervisor completes the agency section and submits it to OWCP.
When to use Form CA-2
- The condition developed gradually rather than from one event.
- You connect it to repeated duties, exposures or conditions at work.
- You first realized the condition was work-related recently.
Deadlines and tips
- Continuation of pay is not available for CA-2 claims; wage loss is claimed separately on a CA-7.
- The three-year filing period generally starts when you first became aware the condition was related to your work.
- OWCP usually asks for a detailed description of your job duties, so list the specific tasks, how often you do them and for how long.
- A physician's narrative explaining how your work caused the condition is often the deciding evidence.
How Injury Federal Clinic helps
Occupational disease claims live or die on medical causation. Our physicians document how your specific duties caused or aggravated your condition, and our claims team keeps the paperwork consistent.
Common questions
Do I need a doctor's report to file a CA-2?
You can file the CA-2 first, but OWCP will need medical evidence that explains how your work caused the condition before it accepts the claim.
Can a CA-2 be used for a condition that existed before my federal job?
If work factors aggravated a pre-existing condition, that aggravation may be claimed. Medical documentation must explain the work-related worsening.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. OWCP and your claims examiner make all coverage decisions; check current instructions on the U.S. Department of Labor website.
