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If you have sustained an on-the-job injury, it is absolutely vital that you receive quality medical care to ensure you make a full recovery and can get back to work. Reaching maximum medical improvement requires treatment from a doctor who will take the time to listen to their concerns and understand the scope of their injuries. At DiMarco | Araujo | Montevideo, we want to talk about what you should discuss with your workers’ compensation doctor throughout the recovery process.
When you first meet with your workers’ compensation doctor, they will gather a complete history of your work injury through various forms that you fill out and in the initial examination. It is important that you tell your workers’ compensation doctor and everyone that works for the doctor all of the facts related to your workplace injury. This includes how the incident happened, the signs and symptoms you noticed in the immediate aftermath, and every part of your body that you believe has sustained an injury. It is important to understand that some work injuries do not become apparent until days or weeks after the incident occurs, and your doctor needs to know about these delayed injuries.
As your workers’ compensation case moves along, your doctor needs to be made aware of any changes in your condition. This includes:
In order to keep track of all of this, it is recommended that you keep a daily log or diary of your injuries, pain, and symptoms.
Perhaps one of the most important, yet understated aspects of a workers’ compensation case is that you need to show up for all appointments with your doctor. If you fail to show up to an appointment with your workers’ compensation doctor, then your medical records will indicate that you were a “no show,” and this could have drastic consequences on your ability to receive continued benefits.
When you do see your doctor, be honest with them about your injuries. Most importantly, honesty helps guide good medical treatment. The most important aspect here is your well being. A doctor will be able to do their job correctly when they have honest information from you. Your doctor needs to know that you want to get better.
You can also tell your workers’ comp doctor about any problems you are having with receiving medical treatment denials from the workers’ comp insurance carrier or if you are having trouble receiving wage loss benefits, approval for medical devices, or approval for getting transportation to and from your appointments.
Lastly, make sure your doctor knows about any concerns you have about returning to work. You do not want to re-injure yourself by returning to regular or light duty work that is inappropriate or exceeds what you can do safely.
If you or a loved one have sustained a workplace injury and are experiencing any trouble receiving benefits, contact the team at DiMarco | Araujo | Montevideo. We understand that these cases can become incredibly complicated, particularly when dealing with your workers’ comp doctors. We want to ensure that you receive your rightful medical treatment and disability benefits. Let our Orange County workers’ compensation attorneys help with your case today. You can contact us for a free consultation by clicking here or by calling (714) 783-2205.