There is a common saying: “Hesitate and lose your space in line.” In a workers’ compensation case, an injured worker might be waiting in line for up to 18 months. It takes more than a year to litigate a contested workers’ compensation case. This begs the question: “What can an injured worker do to help his or her cause?”
Seek medical treatment immediately after your accident. At Krasno, Krasno & Onwudinjo, we can help you through this process. We can also help you understand the importance of prompt and comprehensive medical treatment as part of your workers’ comp claim. To speak with an attorney about your claim and keep your place in line, email us or call us at 877-794-2396.
Don’t Ignore Your Pain: Report It
The moment an injury takes place is the perfect time to help the cause.
- Step 1: Report an injury to human resources or your boss.
- Step 2: Fill out an incident report and check it for accuracy.
- Step 3: Seek medical treatment.
- Step 4: Make sure to provide an accurate account of how the injury occurred to your doctor or medical provider. Be as detailed as possible. Describe all areas of pain.
- Step 5: Give an accurate history of prior injuries to the body parts that were injured on the job.
As an injured worker, you should not try to work through the pain to the point where it becomes so excruciating you can no longer work. This is the major mistake that most injured workers make. A human body is like a machine. If the machine is broken, it cannot produce. The longer you wait to fix a broken machine, the more damaged it may become.
Your health is essential to you, your job and your future. The lawyers of Krasno, Krasno & Onwudinjo understand the stresses that force you to make tough decisions regarding your health and welfare. Before you make a mistake, let our attorneys provide you with the answers and representation you need.
FAQ: Getting Medical Treatment
If you’ve been injured at work and are seeking workers’ compensation benefits, the process of getting medical treatment attention is somewhat different than it would be if you were seeing a doctor on your own. Make sure you know the proper way to seek diagnosis and treatment, lest you risk losing benefits.
Q: Can I see my own doctor?
It depends. If your employer has a posted list of approved doctors, you must see one of those doctors (there should be at least six) for the first 90 days after you report your injury. After that time, you may see your own doctor.
Q: What if the company doctor and my chosen doctor disagree about my ability to return to work?
You are free to take the advice of the doctor you agree with, but if the preferred advice is coming from your own doctor and not the company doctor, your employer may contest his or her decision in court. For example, if your company doctor says you can return to work, but your personal doctor says you’re not ready, and you also think you’re not ready, your employer may file a petition for a hearing before a judge. You would keep receiving your workers’ compensation benefits, however, until the date of the hearing.
Q: What happens to my benefits if I can only return to work in a limited capacity?
If you return to work on light duty, and your new position pays less than your previous job did, you may be eligible for partial disability benefits. If you are released for light duty, but your employer does not have an appropriate position for you, you may continue to receive workers’ compensation benefits.
Q: What happens if I return to work and then get laid off?
You may be able to resume workers’ compensation benefit payments if you return to your job only to be laid off, or fired without cause. If this has happened to you, it’s important to speak with a lawyer who can clarify your rights.
Q: What if I go back to work and it turns out I’m still too injured to do the job?
If your doctor makes a decision that you’re still not ready to return to work, you may be able to resume workers’ compensation payments. Talk to a lawyer to find out your options in your particular situation.
Contact Us With Questions About the Workers’ Compensation Process
Contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation with an attorney to discuss your options, your rights to compensation and the importance of medical treatment. We represent clients in Philadelphia and throughout Pennsylvania. Call 215-310-0001 or toll-free at 877-794-2396. With 11 office locations throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, we are convenient to injured workers statewide.