RETURN OR NOT RETURNING TO WORK

West Palm Beach Work Injury Attorneys Helping You Get Back to Work Safely

Returning or Not Returning to Work After an Accident

If you’ve been injured at work or suffered an on the job accident, you’re entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. Hopefully, you’ve already been contacted by the work comp adjuster and are receiving workers’ compensation benefits. However, you may not be receiving all of the benefits that you are entitled to. Even if you’ve suffered a severe accident and injuries, you may attempt to return to work. Although you may want to return to work, there are several issues that may arise.

Injured workers who have been receiving work comp benefits may not be welcomed back with open arms. Employers often worry about how the injured worker will be able to perform their job duties and if they are more at risk of another accident and injury. Rushing an injured worker back to work before the injured employee’s conditions have fully healed is cause for these concerns and yet many employers and their carriers often try to rush the worker back to work. If you feel that you are being rushed back to work before you’re medically able, please contact a board certified workers’ compensation attorney at Vassallo, Bilotta and Davis in West Palm Beach help you with your work comp claim.

Tips for Returning or Not Returning to Work After a Workplace Accident

Medical Compliance with your Doctor’s Orders. 

Your authorized doctor may prescribe medication and a treatment plan in an effort to improve your work injuries and conditions. Make sure to follow-up with scheduled appointments on a regular basis. Even if you don’t agree with the recommended treatment, it’s important to follow all non-invasive recommendations and treatment plans. Failure to do so may jeopardize your workers’ compensation benefits. Any refusal to return to work within your restrictions could result in a defense of medical non-compliance. A work comp Judge of Compensation Claims (JCC) will make a determination as to whether your refusal to return to work was justifiable.

Document Your Symptoms. 

As soon after the work accident as possible, document the pain and symptoms you are experiencing. That will help you inform the doctors so they can determine what treatment to recommend so you can get back to work. The road to recovery from a work accident is not always straight so you will likely have ups and downs but keeping the doctor informed should help you recover more quickly. If you begin to experience complications, let the doctor know as soon as possible.

How to get paid if hurt at work

Don’t Rush Going Back to Work Too Soon. 

The time to return to work after a work accident is different for everyone. It’s important to avoid going back too soon and making your condition and injuries worse.

Although, it’s understandable that you may be worried about losing your job and how you’re going to pay your bills, if you return to work too soon, you could get re-injured or aggravate your current injury and make it worse. You should never go back to work against the advice of your authorized work comp doctor.

Returning to Work and Re-Injuries.  

Even if you follow your doctor’s recommendations for treatment, you may not be getting better. If you feel that you are unable to work but the authorized doctor says
you can return, you have to attempt to work within your restrictions. There’s always a chance you could re-injure yourself or make your condition worse but you have to try to work within the limitations assigned by the authorized work comp doctor. If you do re-injure yourself after you’ve returned to work, make sure to inform your employer right away and make an appointment to see your work comp doctor as soon as possible. You may not be able to continue working until your condition has improved but it will need to be documented in your medical records.

Contact the Work Comp Attorneys at Vassallo, Bilotta and Davis to Discuss Your Options

Returning to work can be difficult. You may not have a choice but to make an attempt to work within your restrictions. We recommend you contact a West Palm Beach work injury lawyer at Vassallo, Bilotta and Davis for advice and guidance on the work comp laws. Initial consultations are free and we work on a contingency basis so there’s never any out of pocket money paid to us by the injured worker. Call us at 561-471-2800 or contact us online so we can start helping you with your workers’ compensation claim.