Can I See My Own Doctor After I Am Injured at Work
If you have been injured at work, get a lawyer. There are many medical and legal issues that may arise when you are seeking treatment and compensation after a work-related injury. The experienced Colorado workers’ compensation lawyers at The Frickey Law Firm can help you navigate these issues.
If you have been injured at work, your employer will try and direct you to a specific medical provider for medical care for your injuries. Often, injured workers don’t like the provider they have been referred to and don’t feel that the doctor is providing adequate medical care for their work related injuries. What the insurance carrier does not tell you, is that you may be able to switch to another medical provider or even pick your own medical provider to treat you for your work related injuries. If the employer and the insurance carrier fails to follow specific rules after your work injury, the right to select a doctor passes to the injured worker. That means, the injured worker gets to take control of their medical treatment and choose their own provider to treat for their work injuries. The right to choose your own medical provider makes a big difference in the outcome of your case, the medical care you receive and how much your case is ultimately worth.
You can discuss your case with a Colorado workers’ compensation attorney at The Frickey Law Firm. The first step in the legal process is contacting one of our lawyers to learn more about the workers’ compensation process and your legal rights.
You Must Select Your Doctor from an Employer-Provided List
Workers’ compensation law can favor employers in some ways, and the area of doctor choice is one of them. Still, a Colorado employer cannot send you to the exact doctor that they choose. You still have some element of choice and rights in the situation.
Under Colorado law, you have ten working days from the time when you were injured to notify your employer. Once your employer has received notification of your injury, they have seven days to provide you with a list of approved doctors. If the employer/carrier fails to provide this information, the right to select a treating doctor passes to the injured worker. If they do provide a list of providers, the list must comply with Colorado law. If the list provided does not comply with Colorado law, it is invalid, and the right to select a doctor passes to the injured worker.
For some injuries, you would have gotten immediate medical treatment at an emergency care facility. Even still, your medical care needs would not end. No matter what, you would need a treating physician for your work-related illness or injury, so long as you are not fully recovered. The choice of your treating physician can be extremely important, both in terms of convenience and developing a level of trust with the doctor.
There are some requirements attached to the physician’s list that your employer would provide you. The list must include at least four different medical providers who are located within thirty miles of your residence. If they don’t, the right to select a doctor passes to the injured worker. There may be some exceptions to this requirement if you are located in a rural area and there are not as many doctors in that proximity to your home. Insurance carriers and employers fail to comply with Colorado law all the time, call us today to see if we can help you get better medical treatment for your injuries.
You Have the Right to Change Doctors or Get a Second Opinion
If you are dissatisfied with the current treating physician who you have already selected, you may still have a right to change doctors. Call the Frickey Law Firm today and find out your rights and whether or not you can change doctors.
In addition, you have further rights when it comes to the treating doctor. If you disagree with your treating doctor’s conclusion, you can always seek a second opinion through a Division Independent Medical Examination. Again, workers compensation is complicated, if you are injured at work, call a lawyer.
Contact a Colorado Workers’ Compensation Law Firm Today
When you need help after you have been injured on the job, reach out to the experienced Colorado workers’ compensation attorneys at The Frickey Law Firm. We can help you file your initial claim when you are having trouble with the insurance company. You can schedule a free initial consultation with one of our workers’ compensation lawyers by calling us today at 303-237-7373.
Attorney Janet Frickey wants to do the right thing. An impassioned litigator and client advocate for more than 40 years, Ms. Frickey is the owner and managing attorney of The Frickey Law Firm who focuses in workers’ compensation and personal injury. Learn more here.