Worker’s Compensation: Choosing A Doctor – Personal Injury Lawyers

Worker’s Compensation: Choosing A Doctor

When you get hurt at work who gets to pick your doctor? The short answer is simple – you do. In almost every worker’s compensation claim in Texas, you, the injured worker gets to pick the doctor you want to see. That goes for doctors, chiropractors, hospitals, physical therapy, and any other medical treatment you may need.

Why? Unless the Texas Workers’ Compensation Commission says otherwise, you have the right to choose your own doctor. Do employers and worker’s compensation insurance companies like that? Of course not and sometimes they try to direct you to doctors of their choice. Sometimes they hire nurse case managers who make the recommendations. So if you get hurt at work and you have a doctor you trust, that is who you should go to for treatment and a referral to a specialist if necessary. More on this website

Over the past 30 years of representing injured workers, I have seen employers and worker’s compensation insurance companies force unknowing workers into doctors of their choice simply because the injured worker did not know their rights. In a recent case, an out-of-state adjuster told a client that she could not treat with the doctor she was referred to. When I spoke with the adjuster it turned out that she handles many states and simply did not know the rules in Texas. That should never happen but, it does and, of course, we got it straightened out. Perhaps that is the point of this article; human resource people and adjusters don’t always get it right. When they don’t who suffers? You, not them. Your worker’s compensation claim is compromised, you don’t get treated with the doctor you trust, and worst of all, you may not get the treatment you need and may not recover. In the end, everybody keeps their job except you because you are the only one that didn’t get better and cannot return to your job. It does not matter if you worked for the employer for 3 months or 30 years.

So, to the final point. When you get hurt at work talk to a lawyer that knows the law of worker’s compensation. You may not need to hire a work injury attorney but, you do need to know the law. You have a lot at stake. I have been representing injured workers for 30 years and an officer in the Texas Bar Association specifically for worker’s compensation. If there is a message to send anyone injured at work it is to call a lawyer before there is a problem. The good lawyers will take the time to speak with you and let you know what to expect. Of course, I would like you to call our Law Firm. We will speak with you and do our best to answer your questions. You may not always get the answers that you want but, I will tell you what you need to know. Call me, I can help.