Your Benefits Are at Stake
When you’ve been hurt at work and you’re receiving medical care under workers’ compensation, sometimes the process gets complicated.
The workers’ comp doctors chosen by you and the doctors picked by your employer for second opinions will sometimes disagree.
They can argue over several points:
- How badly you were hurt
- How long you need to miss work
- What tasks you can and cannot perform
Meanwhile, your ability to continue receiving workers’ comp benefits hangs in the balance.
Workers’ comp has a specific legal system in place to resolve these disputes.
An experienced workers’ comp lawyer can make sure your needs are addressed during this process.
If doctors are disagreeing over your situation, call Mitchell & Associates today.
Resolving Doctor Disagreements
When doctors disagree over your workers’ comp claim, under Louisiana law, they can ask for an independent medical examination.
This is an examination done by a neutral doctor who tries to break the tie.
The Louisiana Office of Workers’ Compensation coordinates the independent examination.
If you disagree with the results of the examination, your next step is to take your case to court.
You’ll need a lawyer who understands how the Office of Workers’ Comp, and the entire workers’ comp system, works.
When Your Employer Gets to Choose a Doctor
At Mitchell & Associates, we always recommend you chose your own doctors for treatment under workers’ comp.
Though you have the right to do this, in certain circumstances, your employer can require you to go to another doctor.
Your employer can send you to a doctor to examine you for a second opinion.
And you’re required to cooperate with second opinions under workers’ comp. If you refuse to go, your benefits can be stopped.
When you’ve got Mitchell & Associates working for you, you can be sure you’ve got somebody looking out for your interests every step of the way.
What a Lawyer Can Do for You
Having a lawyer who understands workers’ comp ensures that you get all the benefits you deserve.
In addition to guiding you through a dispute between doctors, a lawyer can maximize your case in other ways:
- Make sure insurance pays for your doctor of choice
- Check that health care providers properly document your case
- Make sure your employer submits all the right forms
- Make sure you meet all the required deadlines
- Make sure your insurance sends payments for lost wages in a timely fashion
- Deal with claims adjusters
- Deal with human resources and safety officials from your job
- Deal with hospitals and nurse case managers
- Deal with vocational rehabilitation caseworkers
- File a “Disputed Claim for Compensation,” which is like a lawsuit, if your benefits get denied
Believe it or not, 90% of people who get hurt at work don’t get legal advice. They might end up living with their injuries or paying for medical care themselves.
You worked hard, and you deserve better than that.
