Workers Compensation protects you financially in the event that a workplace incident causes physical injury or psychological suffering. Workers Compensation can generally be claimed if the incident takes place at work, while travelling for work, or on your way to and from work.

When making your workers compensation claim you are entitled to choose your own doctor. It is important that when choosing your doctor, you pick one that you think is both suitable for you and will be one you can trust. This is because the doctor who treats your work injury will play an important part in your workers compensation claim and its success. They will not only oversee your medical care, but will also give opinions on how much you are able to receive in workers compensation benefits.

Therefore it is crucial that you pick a doctor you trust. If you need more in depth information on workers compensation, click here.

Who chooses the workers compensation doctor? 

The rules when it comes to workers compensation claims vary state to state. You must follow your own states’ rules when it comes to your insurance claim or it might cause difficulty for you and your claim. All states allow you to get the nearest medical support when it is needed, but the rules vary when it comes to choosing your doctor. Generally, the rules are:

  1. You choose a doctor based off a list or medical network provided by your employer,
  2. You choose any authorized doctor,
  3. OR your employer chooses the treating doctor for you. 

If you are able to choose one without influence from your employer, this can be great for your workers compensation claim. This is because they can assess your injury and provide guidance on your claim without biased judgement. 

Tips on finding the right workers comp doctor

It’s really important that you find a doctor that suits you and your needs. You should do whatever is possible to find the right treating doctor for you, even if you have been limited by your employer to a specific list of physicians. When choosing a doctor, you should: 

  • Consider their experience and understanding of your medical condition
  • Their willingness to accept the workers’ comp medical fee schedule
  • Their knowledge of the claims process
  • Their willingness to support your claim in workers comp
  • Their availability for medical appointments. 

Above all, you should choose someone you trust, and feel safe and comfortable with. 

What about rehabilitation?

Returning to work after your workplace injury can be an emotional time. There is bound to be anxiety and fear associated with returning and whether you can work to your full capacity and what you co workers may think. 

Generally, your rehab provider is determined by your doctorYou can select your own rehabilitation provider to help you through your recovery process. Your employer needs to do everything possible to make sure your transition back to work is as easy as possible. As long as your rehab provider is approved by WorkCover, they can be whoever you feel comfortable with. 

If you are considering making a workers compensation claim but you’re not sure of the processes, please get in touch with What’s My Claim Worth today. We partner with the best law firms across the country to ensure cases just like yours have the best representation available. For more information on claims, and to start your claims process, please click here.