A common workers’ compensation scenario involving a back injury goes like this:
The injured worker will feel pain in his back or spine, be directed to a Concentra, Urgent Care, or Choice Care in Atlanta or DeKalb County, and the “doctor” may dismiss the worker with a “back strain or sprain.” Hopefully, an x-ray will be done and the worker will be given some prescription medication. However, the injured worker may remain in pain. After a few days, the employee (hurt at work) would return to the industrial clinic complaining of pain. Hopefully, an MRI would done.
If the MRI scan demonstrates a disc herniation, this means that there may be a tear in the outer ring of a spinal disc. Generally, inflammation may occur and cause pain. The symptoms may depend on the level where the herniation occurred and whether it is touching a nerve. For example, a herniation in the low back may cause pain in the buttocks or down the injured worker’s legs. Treatment for back pain may include physical therapy, and potentially surgery. It is important that injured workers understand their course of treatment and options.
If the employee’s pain is bad enough that he or she is losing time from work, he or she may be entitled to income benefits under the Georgia Workers’ Compensation Act, in addition to the medical treatment (provided at the expense of the Employer/Insurer). There also may be a permanent impairment rating issued at some point in the life of the claim.
The employee tends to feel lost between the pain level, trying to maintain their life and navigate the workers comp claim. If you find yourself or someone you know in this position, have them contact our office for a consultation. We can help so that you can focus on getting better.
If you need some advice as to your rights under the workers’ compensation system, please contact our office at the Ramos Law Firm.
Tags: PPD, TPD, TTD, workers' comp law
This is usually the first step before filing a claim for workmen’s compensation. Some companies or insurance companies send you to a company doctor or one that is associated with the company in anyway. If the doctor doesn’t sign off and the employee still feels the pain, the problem will get bigger. So for an employee going through this problem it might be wise if the company sends you to a company doctor to get a second opinion before doing anything else.
Lulaine, it is true that an employer will most likely try to send you to a “company doctor”. Getting a second opinion, however, is not as easy as it sounds. In order for this second opinion to be paid for by workers’ compensation (because most employees will not have the money to pay for this visit and your personal health insurance likely will not cover it once you say it was a work accident), you have to go through the proper channels to get to an approved doctor. That is where our firm is able to assist the injured worker. Even with the initial doctor visit, there should be a posted panel of physicians and the employee can choose a doctor from that panel. Again, there are only so many “free” choices and changes to doctors that can be made, so we suggest contacting an experienced attorney to help in this area or you may find yourself “stuck” at a facility that is not right for you.