After suffering a work-related injury, your primary concern will likely be to seek medical treatment as soon as possible. But can you see your primary care physician, or do you have to wait and see a doctor designated by workers’ compensation? More importantly, when should you see a doctor?
Injured on the job but are unsure where to begin to seek compensation? Get in touch with our Orange County workers’ comp attorneys today to find the answers you need during a free consultation.
Is Your Injury an Emergency?
If your injuries require emergency medical treatment, call 911 or head to the nearest emergency room as soon as possible. Your employer must make sure you have access to emergency treatment immediately and may tell you where to go for treatment. Be sure to inform the medical staff that your injury or illness is job-related.
If your injuries are not an emergency, you should first report the injury to your supervisor or some other figure of authority immediately. For injuries which develop over time, such as tendinitis, be sure to report your injury as soon as you feel symptoms or have reason to believe that it was caused by your job. The sooner you report your injury, the more likely you will avoid problems and delays in receiving your benefits. In fact, if you wait more than 30 days, you could lose your right to benefits entirely.
Aside from emergency situations, injured workers will usually be required to wait to receive treatment until they are directed to a physician approved by their employer’s workers’ compensation insurance, unless they previously informed their employer in writing the name and address of their primary physician or medical group prior to being injured. This is known as predesignating. Those who have predesignated may see their personal physician immediately after being injured.
It is important to note that you may only predesignate if you have health care coverage for medical conditions that are unrelated to work. To predesignate, you must prepare your own written statement, use DWC Form 9783, or use a form provided by your employer.
If you have encountered difficulty with your workers’ compensation claim after seeing your primary physician, contact the knowledgeable Orange County workers’ comp lawyers at Alvandi Law Group, P.C. today. Our team of skilled advocates can answer any questions you may have and provide the support you need to navigate through the workers’ comp system with ease.