This is a common question that most California Workers Comp Lawyers hear. While it may seem a bit biased, and it may be, the fact is that yes, yes you do.
In most cases, when a person is asking this question, it is because the injured worker never saw a qualified panel of physicians. They were simply told where they should go for medical treatment and they never knew they had a choice in regard to where they received their treatment.
There are also many injured individuals who may not know they can receive medical mileage reimbursement – or even a ride to medical appointments. This is simply because the adjuster for the insurance company has conveniently ‘forgotten’ to let them know about this benefit.
In other situations, the worker who was injured is not aware they can receive a second opinion for the independent medical examination or choose the doctor they see. They do not automatically have to use the one that is mandated by the insurance company.
There are some cases where injured workers will find that the adjuster has invented and tell the worker to show up and do it – this is all while they are on a no work status with the doctor they have been told to go to. When this occurs, the insurance adjuster can cut off the temporary total disability (checks) since the worker obeyed the adjuster’s instructions.
As you can see there are a number of issues that may come up once the case is accepted. If you do not have someone on your side who is familiar with the compensation laws, such as a lawyer, then you may find that you have no idea what your actual options are or the rights that you have in the situation. This will essentially leave you at the mercy of the insurance adjuster who may simply be trying to minimize the payment that has to be made by their client.
There is no reason to remain ignorant and broke when it comes to suffering from an injury while at work. All you have to do to find a viable solution for your problem is to contact a quality and reputable attorney. They will be able to guide your decision and ensure that you do not suffer from simply not knowing your rights.
When you are in need of worker’s compensation benefits, be sure to contact a California Workers Comp Lawyer from the Law Offices of Norman J. Homen.
