After an injury on the job, your first inclination may be to call your primary care doctor to schedule an appointment to be examined. While you can do this, payment to that doctor will come out of your own pocket, not be covered by any potential Florida workers’ compensation benefits you receive in a claim. The reason for this is that under Florida workers’ compensation law, injured employees have the right to have their medical expenses covered but they are required to go to a medical provider that is approved by either their employer or their employer’s Florida workers’ compensation insurance company.

If you are unsure about how the Florida workers’ compensation process works, if you need legal guidance, or if you want help with your Florida workers’ compensation claim managed by an experienced legal professional, call Stephen M. Andrews for assistance. Stephen M. Andrews is a Tallahassee workers’ compensation attorney with more than 35 years helping Floridians recover all the benefits they are entitled to under the Florida workers’ compensation system.

How Does An Injured Employee Obtain A Medical Diagnosis?

In the state of Florida, almost every business, with only some exceptions, are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance. After a workplace accident, an injured employee should inform their human resources representative or their manager of their injury accident. The injured employee should let the appropriate individual know of their intent to file a Florida workers’ compensation claim.

Your employer or their Florida workers’ compensation insurance provider will let you know which doctors are approved for you to be examined and obtain a diagnosis of your injuries. Only in cases where immediate medical treatment is necessary, is this rule not applied. For instance, if you were on a construction site and a piece of heavy machinery malfunctions and cuts off your leg, you will absolutely need to get medical attention as fast as possible. You don’t have the time to wait to hear where you can go and wait on when you can schedule an appointment.

When you go to an approved doctor to have your injuries reviewed, you still have options if you don’t like the doctor you are seeing. You can request a change in the medical provider who is treating you. You should know that requesting a change doesn’t mean that you now have input on which doctor is chosen as your replacement. You still have no say in what doctor will be covered under the Florida workers’ compensation system. So changing up doctors is a risk for injured employees. They may be provided with a new doctor that meets their needs better and they like more, but they can also get a doctor that they like even more than the first doctor they saw. 

If you are not happy with your second doctor, it really doesn’t matter because you are stuck with them. You only have one chance to switch doctors under Florida workers’ compensation law.  You can’t go back to your original doctor and you cannot make another change, this is why it is so important to work with a Florida workers compensation attorney so that every decision you make is well informed and result in benefiting your best interests.

Speak to a Florida Workers’ Compensation Attorney Today

You can have all of your Florida workers’ compensation questions answered as well as all the legal guidance you need to understand your best options for obtaining all of the Florida workers’ compensation benefits you are entitled to by speaking with Stephen M. Andrews. Call Stephen M. Andrews, a Tallahassee workers’ compensation attorney that you can discuss your Florida workplace accident with during a free consultation at (850) 906-9599.