Do I Have a Right to Choose My Own Doctor in a Workers' Compensation Case?

Many insurance company representatives are honest and transparent with claimants, but unfortunately, many others are not. Some insurance company representatives will try to get away with certain tactics in order to delay, reduce, or deny workers’ compensation insurance claims.

While this is an unfortunate truth, if you are equipped with the right knowledge, they won’t be able to pull a fast one on you. Here’s the truth about choosing your own doctor after suffering a work-related injury:

You Can Choose Your Own Doctor, Just Not Right Away

According to the State of Michigan Workers’ Disability Compensation Agency, your employer has the right to choose the physician who will treat you for the first 28 days of your care. Once the 28-day period has passed, you have the right to switch doctors as long as you tell your employer and the workers’ compensation insurance company, preferably in writing.

You are not required to obtain authorization from the insurance company or your employer in order to receive medical care. As long as the care you receive is reasonable and necessary, your claim won’t be in dispute.

Vocational Rehabilitation

If your work-related injury or illness doesn’t allow you the ability to carry out the work that you had previously spent time and money on training or experience, you have the right to receive vocational rehabilitation benefits.

Vocational rehabilitation can cover a whole slew of professional services created to assist injured workers to return to the workforce. These services may include any of the following:

• Job placement assistance
• Retraining support
• Guidance in starting your own business

If you have been hurt in a work-related incident, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. Our team is highly skilled in this area of the law and has helped many others in similar situations when they needed it most. Let us see if we can help you, too.

Call Adler Firm, PLLC today at (888) 966-9524 to speak with an accomplished attorney about your workers’ compensation case.