What To Do When Physical Therapy Jeopardizes Your Workers' Compensation Case
Posted on: 27 October 2020
When you are injured at work, you will be expected to go to the doctor to receive an examination to determine if you are injured and whether the injury is work-related. You will also likely be prescribed treatment. For some injuries, the doctor might recommend physical therapy. However, after a few sessions, you might discover that it's making your injury worse. If so, you'll want to speak with a workers' compensation attorney right away so you don't jeopardize your case.
Don't Simply Stop Going
In the majority of cases, physical therapy leads to patients seeing some improvements. Very rarely does physical therapy have a negative effect, so none of the relevant parties will assume this is the case.
Your workers' compensation attorney will likely encourage you to explain to the doctor that you are experiencing pain. You will want to talk about what activities cause you to experience pain. You never want to come across as being uncooperative, because the workers' compensation insurance provider will try to use this as an excuse to deny your claim. Also, you will want to have any of your concerns documented in case they get worse.
Talk to your orthopedic doctor about your concerns. Your doctor may be able to determine why the treatment is making your injury worse. Your doctor might also recommend a different type of treatment such as an epidural shot. Also, you'll have a record of speaking with your doctor about this issue to show to the workers' compensation insurance provider.
Common Problems with Physical Therapy
You might discover that your range of motion has been diminished and you can't perform the exercises, but this isn't addressed by your workers' compensation attorney. You might also have scar tissue that has not been addressed, and the problem is worsened when you undergo physical therapy. For example, while stretching can be great, you cannot stretch with scar tissue.
Don't Make Medical Decisions on Your Own
While you have the legal right to choose any medical treatments you want, the workers' compensation insurance provider also has the right to deny your claim. Therefore, if you're doing anything that might jeopardize your claim, speak with an attorney so you don't end up losing out on benefits. Your attorney can help you understand what medical decisions can have a positive or negative effect on your case.
For more information about working with a workers' compensation lawyer, contact a local law firm.
Share