Seeking Medical Treatment for Your Work Injury
By Pyle Law, May 18 2021 9:32 amGetting medical treatment after being injured at work can be confusing for some people. Here are some handy tips to guide you, and you should not hesitate to consult with a Kansas workers’ compensation attorney.
After sustaining an injury in an accident at work, you need to take certain steps to obtain compensation for your injuries. But to help ensure that all your medical treatment will be covered under your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance coverage. Here’s what you need to do.
Inform your direct supervisor, which could be your manager, safety director, or HR, even if you are not sure if you require immediate medical assistance. You never know if a negligible or small injury will become serious, so it’s always better to err on the side of caution. You and your supervisor will then review the circumstances of the accident and create a record of the incident. It’s also crucial to note that in Kansas, injured workers are given 20 days from the date of the accident to report the incident. Otherwise, you risk getting your workers’ compensation claim being denied.
Under workers’ compensation rules, all eligible workers that are injured while working are entitled to receive all medical treatments that are reasonably needed to relieve or cure an injury’s effects. This can include all diagnostic tests and treatments like prescription medications, physical therapy, and surgical interventions. On the other hand, take note that employers have the right to pick authorized doctors for treatment. This means that if you decide to receive treatment from a doctor that’s not authorized by your employer, workers’ compensation coverage will only cover up to $500 of your medical bills.
Also, it’s vital to note that under the law, there is no maximum limit, copayments, and deductibles on workers’ compensation benefits. However, employers’ policies sometimes have limits, so there’s a chance that you can only recover so much, which may or may not be enough to cover all your damages. Additionally, what if you feel that your employer’s insurance carrier is undervaluing your claim and/or you require extensive medical treatments that the insurer says can’t be covered?
Some claims are easily handled. You are fortunate when your injury just keeps you off work for several weeks or a month or two, you’re expected to fully recover without any lasting injuries, and your employer’s workers’ compensation coverage will cover all of your medical bills. But severe injuries are another story because workers who sustained permanent injuries could be entitled to significantly higher compensation and settlements.
The problem is that workers’ compensation insurance providers employ very aggressive claims adjusters that are specifically trained to intimidate injured workers so that they can settle claims for as little money as possible. With this in mind, workers with severe injuries, particularly those with pre-existing conditions, should at least consult a Kansas workers’ compensation attorney.
An experienced attorney can discuss the complexities of your claim to help ensure that they understand exactly how much compensation they need to fully recover the losses they incurred due to their workplace injuries. It won’t even cost you a single cent to find out how much your claim could be worth. Talk to our Kansas workers’ compensation attorney here at Pyle Law by arranging your free consultation via our online form or calling us at 620-374-9299.
