ARE YOU HURT ON THE JOB?

It has been our experience that most employers either do not know the rules of Workers Compensation or purposely try to evade their responsibility in order to avoid paying higher insurance premiums.

Many employers promise you that they will “take care of you” and say they will “pay your medical bills”.  Interestingly, they don’t let you choose your physician but send you to a doctor of their choosing who they know will evaluate and recommend sending you back to work even though you are injured.

This scenario happens over and over again, which is why many injured employees seek out an attorney to help them because they do not know much about Workers Compensation laws.  Unfortunately the injured employee is put in the position of going against their employer and losing their job or returning to work while injured which can cause their injury to get worse.

Remember your health is worth more than your job.  It may not seem that way at first, but in the end, if you do not file a worker’s compensation claim to get proper treatment, you may get injured worse and still end up getting fired. If you sustain an on-the-job injury, you must report the injury in writing as soon as possible.

The employer shall pay medical and rehabilitation expenses within the limits of the law. In some cases where you are not able to work, the employer is responsible for paying lost wages due to the injury. The employer is required to give you a list of physicians to provide medical treatment for an on-the-job injury. You are allowed to pick the physician. If your employer sends you to the “company doctor,” you should request that they provide the list of physicians so that you may receive proper medical care separate from your employer. Please note that your interest in receiving medical treatment and recovering from your injury is different from the employer’s interest which is often made by an insurance company. The list should contain at least six physicians and shall include at least one minority physician per O.C.G.A. § 34-9-201.

Having worked as a manager for employers myself, I can tell you that the employers’ only concern is to keep their costs down.  When an employee gets hurt on the job the employer does not see an injured employee but rather a threat to their profits.  The protocol is to get the employee back to work as soon as possible and the only way to do that is to hire a doctor to state that the employee is not hurt or if they are hurt the injury is not work related.

If you are in this situation then call JOHN LAW FIRM P.C. for a free consultation.  We have experienced attorneys who will help you deal with your employer quickly and aggressively to get you the payout you deserve for your treatment and lost earnings.