Choosing the Right Doctor After a Work Injury and Whether to Get a Second Opinion

Folks who get hurt at work can be surprised to learn they can’t just go to their own doctor for their workers’ compensation case. In this video, South Carolina workers’ comp attorney Rob Usry explains who chooses the doctor and why, plus gives you some insight on when a second opinion is most likely to help your case.

Transcript

So we’re talking about workers compensation, why you can’t just go to your own doctor and when you need to think about a second opinion. To get treatment under comp you’ve got to go to the doctor selected by the insurance company. It’s the law and usually it works out okay. But sometimes you do need to think about a second opinion and in my experience there’s about three situations that most often justify one.

• Number one, denying you treatment most often at surgery. I’ve seen insurance companies go to heartbreaking links to save a dollar at your expense.
• Number two, releasing you too soon. If you’ve still got severe symptoms but the doctors telling you you’re as good as you’re gonna get you might need a second opinion that could give you the treatment you need.
• Third, unjustifiably low impairment ratings. One of the most important factors in your financial settlement is the doctor’s permanent impairment rating. Sometimes those ratings don’t reflect the level of permanent damage done to you. In this situation a second opinion can get you a more accurate rating that might really help you financially.

Now, getting a second opinion can be tricky and here’s why. You need to find a doctor who is experienced with workers comp cases and who’s got a good reputation with the defense and the commission so you can get a reliable second opinion that might really help your case.

An experienced workers compensation attorney can help you find one. If you’re seriously hurt at work you need to do all you can to maximize your financial and medical benefits. If you’ve got any questions about your case feel free to fill out our get help now form right on our website and you’ll get a response from an experienced workers compensation attorney. I thank you for thinking about this with me and I hope I see you soon.

Feel free to schedule a free strategy session with us by calling our office at (864) 582-0416.