After a workplace injury, there are two things you must do promptly: notify your employer and seek medical attention. In some cases, notifying your employer is the first step. In other cases, immediate medical care is the top priority.
In this post, we will look at why the medical exam is so important to your workers’ compensation claim and to your recovery.
A doctor’s order has clout
Without a doctor’s diagnosis, your employer’s workers’ comp insurance company likely will reject your claim. By providing your employer with an order from an authorized doctor, however, you can reduce the odds of a rejection.
Further, a medical report will make your employer more likely to understand the full scope of your injury, as well as what tasks – if any – you can perform now.
A doctor’s order gives you a path to recovery
You may loathe the prospect of skipping work. Yet, returning too soon could exacerbate your injury and make it more difficult or impossible for you to work in the future.
By following your doctor’s orders, you will know what steps you must take before returning to your job. Your doctor will likely refer you to specialists, who will treat your injury. Plus, your doctor will monitor your recovery and determine when you have healed sufficiently to return to work.
A doctor’s order provides evidence of your injury
Even if you have a medical report, your employer’s insurance company may reject your workers’ compensation claim, in part or in full. Among other reasons, this could happen if your employer argues your injury stemmed from a pre-existing condition, or that it occurred off-the-clock.
If you appeal the rejection of your claim, your doctor’s order will provide evidence of the injury. It will detail its severity and document your treatment. With this information, you may have an easier time resolving disputes with the insurance company.
