In Georgia, your choice of doctor is limited if you want to receive workers’ compensation benefits after being injured at work. All workplaces in Georgia that offer workers’ compensation insurance must have a panel of doctors posted that you can choose from. It is in your best interest to choose from this panel in order for your workers’ comp claim to proceed as smoothly as possible.
If there is no posted panel of doctors at your workplace, or if it is hidden or otherwise inaccessible, then you may be able to choose your own doctor. If your injury was catastrophic and required immediate care at a hospital, which hospital you go to will not affect your claim. However, you should choose a doctor from your workplace’s approved list for all follow-up care.
Navigating workers’ compensation claims can be difficult and exhausting. Here at the Law Offices of Humberto Izquierdo, we have extensive experience helping workers who were injured on the job receive the benefits they are entitled to. Call us at 770-888-8901 to schedule your complimentary consultation.
How Can I Make My Workers’ Compensation Claim Stronger?
Keep in mind that doctors employed by insurance companies may have a vested interest in downplaying your injuries so that the insurance company can pay out as little as possible in workers’ compensation benefits. When you are at the doctor’s office, you should:
- Be honest about your injuries
- Tell the doctor every symptom you have experienced, no matter how minor
- Don’t make any guesses about the nature of your injuries
- Don’t make statements that could harm your case, such as “it’s probably nothing” in response to questions about your symptoms
Only you know exactly how your body feels. If you think your doctor is not taking your injuries seriously enough, you are allowed to change doctors once to get a second opinion. You are also allowed to see specialists referred by your doctor.
If your doctor clears you for light duty, you should attempt it, even if you think you might not be able to handle it. If you refuse to even try, the insurance company may take it as a sign that you are simply trying to get out of work and may try to deny your claim.
Hiring a workers’ compensation lawyer is the best way to ensure your claim is as strong as it can be. Trying to handle a workers’ compensation claim on your own, especially when disability is involved, is almost sure to end in favor of the insurance company rather than your health.
Why Hire a Worker’s Comp Lawyer?
We have the experience and knowledge necessary to fight insurance companies and help our clients get the best workers’ comp settlement possible. Our intimate knowledge of Georgia workers’ comp law as well as our knowledge of tactics insurance companies use to try to lessen your compensation are key to our successful outcomes.
We can help you with doctor selection, filing out all your paperwork correctly and on time, the appeals process if your company’s insurance tries to deny your claim, negotiating with the insurance company, and more. Plus, we work on a contingency fee basis for most of our clients, meaning that you will not owe us anything until we recover compensation for you.
Schedule Your Complimentary Consultation
If you have been injured on the job, call the workers' compensation lawyers at the Law Offices of Humberto Izquierdo today at 770-888-8901 for your complimentary consultation. We serve clients in Marietta, Cumming, Atlanta, and other nearby areas of Georgia.
