My doctor refuses to help me: A true story. / Mi médico se niega a ayudarme: Una historia verdadera.

Imagine you are seriously injured on the job.  You tear your rotator cuff lifting a 50 pound box overhead.  The next day you go to your family doctor and tell them what happened.  They examine you, order an MRI and suggest you might have a rotator cuff tear.  They send you to physical therapy.  Weeks later you aren’t getting better.  You tell your employer and he says it’s fine to file a work comp claim; that’s why he has insurance.  You hire a lawyer and file the claim.  The lawyer tells you that you really need to be treated by an orthopedic surgeon so you need to go back to your doctor and ask for a referral.  The doctor says, “I don’t get involved in work comp claims and I’m not giving you a referral.”  Seriously, that’s what happened.  The problem is that the law only allows you one choice of doctor (the family physician, in this case) and all the referrals therefrom.  So, insurance doesn’t have to pay for treatment even if the client is seen by an orthopedic surgeon who testifies the injury is 100% work related and you need surgery.  Now, you have to fight your case by paying for an orthopedic surgeon yourself or hoping that your regular insurance will cover the treatment (and then want their money back).  An experienced work comp lawyer can navigate these waters for you.

I know it sounds crazy, but this scenario happens about 10% of the time.  90% of the doctors are wonderful, helpful and caring people; 10% have a personal agenda, whether it hurts you or not.  So, if you are injured on the job and you’re worried about what to do, call an experienced work comp lawyer first, assuming you’re not in an emergency medical situation.  Don’t wait…don’t make any important decisions on your own.  Ask for help.  Work comp lawyers do not bill you by the hour, so the call costs you nothing.  Any competent work comp lawyer will get you much more money and much better medical care than you would on your own, so do not hesitate to call.

Call Keith Short and Associates,  618-254-0055; www.siltrial.com