Choice of Doctor and Medical Treatment

If you are injured at work, it is important that you seek medical treatment as soon as possible in order to determine the nature and extent of the injuries and, if necessary, obtain medical treatment for those injuries.   You should always tell your doctor how the work accident occurred and report all symptoms – no matter how insignificant they may seem.  If you delay treatment, your employer and the insurance company can use that against you and even deny your injury claim.  Bottom line: if you are injured at work, the sooner you report the injury and seek medical attention, the better.

Under Nebraska law, injured workers have the right to choose a doctor to treat their injuries. However, the doctor chosen must have seen the employee or an immediate family member before the accident.  Otherwise, the employer may have the right to select the physician.  Even if an employee has an eligible family physician, many times employers will persuade or even intimidate injured employees to waive this right and treat with a company-selected doctor.  NEVER waive this right.  Attached is a form provided by the Nebraska Workers’ Compensation Court.  Always avoid allowing a company doctor to treat you for your injuries.  Call or email our office for more information about your doctor or a particular company doctor.

Employers and their insurers are responsible for all reasonable and necessary medical treatment.  Employees do not have to pay any balances with medical providers.  Always make sure your medical provider is properly billing the employer and not your health insurance.  Our office has seen many providers mistakenly bill health insurance. Down the road not only will this result in a hassle straightening out the billing, but importantly, you may be jeopardizing your workers’ compensation claim.  Call or email us if this is the case with your claim.

If you receive recommendations for medical treatment, follow through with the treatment. Failing to comply with medical treatment can result in a loss of all benefits.  If the insurance company will not authorize certain treatment or wants you to submit to a medical exam for a second opinion, call Putnam Law Offices immediately. Frequently, this is the point in time where the insurance company is preparing to deny your injury claim.

If an employer and/or its insurance company is delaying or refusing to allow medical treatment, you should call or email to discuss your situation.  Sometimes a phone call can straighten things out.  Other times you may need legal representation in order to get proper medical benefits.