HOMEThe Georgia workers’ compensation statute say that any employer with more than three employees must post a panel of physicians for the benefit of injured workers in a readily accessible place. Further, the statute requires employers to instruct workers on the use of the panel and procedures to...Read More
Medical Treatment Problems
Many Georgia workers’ compensation claimants rate quality medical care as their most important concern after an on-the-job injury. I wish I could tell you that you will usually be happy with employer/insurer provided medical care, but unfortunately, this is not the case.
Per the Georgia workers’ compensation statute, your employer gets the first opportunity to control your medical treatment. As you can read in more detail below, your employer is supposed to post a “panel of physicians” who are pre-approved to treat any injured worker.
You probably won’t be surprised to learn that posted panel physicians are sometimes more focused on saving your employer money and preserving their source of business than in treating you appropriately.
Fortunately Georgia law does give you several very important rights when it comes to your medical care within an on-the-job injury claim. For example, if the posted panel is defective (which is often the case) you are not obligated to use only panel doctors. If the panel doctor does not provide effective care, the law allows you to demand a change in treating physicians.
Because medical care under workers’ compensation can become hotly contested, the State Board and the Georgia legislature have enacted numerous detailed procedures to set out how this medical care shall be provided. I spend a good portion of my day reviewing medical records and negotiating with insurance companies to obtain better quality medical care for my clients.
If you have any questions about medical care in your workers’ compensation case, please call me at 770-351-0801 or email me by clicking on the link.
Frequently Asked Questions About Workers’ Compensation Medical Care
Below you will find answers to the most common questions I get about medical care in a Georgia workers’ compensation case.
What happens when your treating physician botches a surgery or fails to provide adequate medical care, and the consequences are catastrophic? Can you pursue, in addition to your workers’ compensation settlement, a medical malpractice claim against the treating physician? The answer is yes;...Read More
Every employer with more than three employees is required to post a panel of physicians that contains the names and addresses of at least six unassociated doctors or clinics. Your employer must display or “post” at its work site or office a list of these applicable treating physicians for your...Read More
Often, a major factor in determining whether to settle has to do with your access to medical care. In this video, Jodi explains why settlements that provide for a period of “open medical” are increasingly rare and what to know about your future medical care after settlement. Read More
What can you do if the workers’ compensation doctor is providing substandard care? Perhaps you are just got getting any better, or maybe the industrial clinic doctor has released you back to full duty work even though you can barely move. What can you do? The Georgia workers’ compensation...Read More
Under the Georgia workers’ compensation law, your employer and its insurer must provide you with medical care if you are hurt on the job. You will 0nly get this medical care if the employer/insurer accepts your claim – if they deny your claim, they do not have to provide medical care...Read More