Are you suffering injuries from a work accident and need help? Check out these 4 workers’ comp questions, then give our lawyers a call today.
1. Do I have to see a company doctor for medical treatment of a work-related injury?
The question comes up, almost in case after case for people who are injured on the job, whether you have to see the company doctor if you’ve been injured on the job in Arizona.
If you talk to our workers’ compensation attorney, Daniel Garza, what he’ll tell you is, yes, one of the rules in Arizona is that you do need to see your company doctor at least once. Now, if your company is self-insured, it’s more. They have the right to choose the doctor for you forever, for life. We have clients in that situation who still aren’t getting the care they need. That’s tough. That’s an important reason to call and talk to Daniel Garza, our workers’ compensation attorney.
Generally, for most people, they only have to see their company doctor once. Here’s something that Daniel Garza will tell you that the company doctor doesn’t let you know and your own company doesn’t let you know generally. That is, if you only see the company doctor once, you can go choose your own doctor after that.
Call us, and we’ll give you a referral to great doctors who are private doctors who don’t work generally for insurance companies and don’t work generally for employers. They just work for your benefit. There are not a lot of those doctors out there— private doctors who will work with the workmen’s compensation system.
We have great doctors. They have enough patients that they’re willing to see our clients. We’ll refer you to great doctors who will accept the workmen’s comp benefits and they’ll give you care that’s focused on you instead of just what’s going to necessarily benefit the insurance company or the employer.
The other rule that your employer doesn’t tell you is if you go see the doctor twice, then you’re at least for the short-term stuck with the company doctor. Now, if the company doctor is doing a good job taking care of you, okay. Often, we get calls from people going, oh my gosh, this doctor said I’m fine. I need to get back to work and I’m in excruciating pain. What can I do? In that situation, you made the right first step. You made a call to us.
Talk to our workers’ compensation attorney, Daniel Garza, and we can refer you to those private doctors. When they see you, if they find things that the company doctor missed, they do MRIs, more studies the company doctor didn’t do, then they can file what’s called a change of doctor request. Most of the time, those are approved. Then you can start getting the care that’s really what probably could have benefited you from the beginning, but at least you get it now.
That’s another reason. If you feel stuck and locked into seeing the company doctor, they’re not giving the care you need, call us. The call is free; the information is free; the referrals are free. The person who’s going to benefit health-wise and financially is you.
2. If I am permanently unable to return to work, am I entitled to disability retirement benefits through my place of employment?
Can they qualify for both workers’ compensation benefits and Social Security Disability benefits? If you talk to Daniel Garza, our workers’ compensation attorney, he’ll advise you the answer is yes; however, it’s a complex situation. If you’re already getting one or the other, you definitely want to call and talk to Daniel about your specific situation.
Why? Because Social Security Disability will be able generally to claim in the offset for your workers’ compensation benefits. There are ways to structure things so that your benefits can either be maintained or increased or have more come out in your favor. Some of them are complicated, so that’s a reason that you need – if you’re already getting Social Security Disability or you’ve been off work for more than a year and you could be eligible, that’s a reason to call our law firm and talk to Daniel Garza. He can advise in your specific case what other measures could be taken to preserve both of your benefits so it’s maximized in your favor. Remember, the call is free; the information is free. The person who can benefit the most is you.
3. If I am injured at work, what medical bills are paid?
When people call in and ask that question of our workers’ comp attorney, Daniel Garza, the short answer he will say, and has said in recent inquiries, is yes; however, there is a qualification. That’s why you need to call and find out what those situations are so you’re not the one that gets burned and stuck with the medical bills.
Here’s the catch. If you have one doctor treating you for a particular condition, then yes, your bills are going to get paid by the workers’ comp system and the insurance carrier. Let’s say you’re not happy with the treatment you get there. You just go and see your own doctor. That doctor refers you to another doctor. Now, you have three doctors treating you for the same condition.
That’s going to be a situation where you won’t all necessarily get paid. It is a situation where you absolutely need to call us. Talk to our workers’ compensation attorney, Daniel Garza. He can steer you and guide you in a direction where you get better care, even if it involves a change of doctor notice that’s approved. They’re usually approved, by the way. You get the care you need and the doctor that’s really taking care of you gets paid, so they don’t get left out in the cold, so to speak.
Anytime that you don’t feel like you’re getting the care you need, pick up the phone, call. The call is free; the information is free. The person that’s going to benefit by getting better medical care and better benefits and long-term rewards is you.
4. How long is my workers’ comp case going to take?
A common question that people who are injured on the job ask our workers’ comp attorney, Daniel Garza, is how long it takes to resolve my claim. They’re hoping that Daniel can give them an answer.
The truth is it can be extremely short or it can last, especially if you qualify for lifetime benefits, a lifetime. That’s two wide extremes. How do you know what might apply in your case? That’s why we recommend you give a call to attorney, Daniel Garza, our workers’ comp attorney, and have him analyze your specific situation. Then you can get at least a clearer picture of how long it’s likely to take to resolve your claim.
Daniel doesn’t have a crystal ball. He can’t tell how long your medical care and things like that are necessarily going to last. He can read the reports, the medical reports. He can, based on his experience, get some idea. You want to get a better picture of your case, pick up the phone, call. The call is free; the information is free. The person who’s going to benefit the most by making that call is you.
Have you or a loved one been injured at work and have questions about your work injury? Check out these 4 workers’ comp questions, contact experienced Gilbert Workers Compensation Lawyers at Free Injury Advice today for a free consultation and case evaluation.
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