Any type of injury can be devastating. However, an on-the-job injury can cause additional stress and anxiety. It can be overwhelming to deal with pain, mounting bills, and time away from work. Many people just want to move forward and get back to work, and worker’s compensation can help. A compensation attorney in Nassau County, NY, can help clients avoid the mistakes listed below.
Failing to Report the Injury
It is important for a worker to report an injury right away, as failing to do so can jeopardize a potential worker’s comp claim. All injuries should be reported, regardless of severity, and workers should not assume an injury is not serious enough to be compensable. In many instances, injuries can worsen over the following days and weeks.
Not Seeing the Correct Physician
If an injury occurs on a worksite, the employer has the legal right to choose a physician. To be eligible for worker’s comp benefits, the worker must submit to an examination by the company doctor. A person can choose his or her own physician if the company does not do so, but the doctor must be qualified to diagnose and treat a certain injury (be a specialist).
Not Getting Other Opinions
Although worker’s comp rules require injured workers to see a company doctor, they also allow the worker to get a second opinion. If a person disagrees with the first doctor’s diagnosis, they should ask for clarification. Employers have the right to choose the second doctor as well and, in some instances, an additional opinion is critical in getting the right compensation.
Not Following Work Restrictions
In some situations, doctors may restrict a patient from doing certain things. It is important for the patient to abide by these restrictions. The company’s insurer may attempt to show the worker is able to perform certain duties, but failing to follow restrictions can seriously damage a person’s worker’s compensation case.
The worker’s compensation lawyers at visit website the website for the law office of Steven R. Smith, help injured workers get the compensation necessary to move forward following an injury. If a person is denied benefits or they need to file a claim, a worker’s compensation attorney in Nassau County, NY, can help.
