What Happens If I Get Injured at Work in Glendale? Can I Consult My Preferred Doctor or Do I Have to Consult Someone the Company Recommends?

workplace injury

Most states let employees who suffer from workplace injuries consult their trusted physician.

However, things are different in California.

Most employers have a network of doctors for you to consult as part of their workers’ compensation plan. However, there are some scenarios where you can switch and consult your doctor.

  •  If Treated in a Medical Provider Network (MPN)

You have first to consult their chosen doctor from the MPN. But you can request a second opinion if you are still not happy with their diagnosis. The doctor, however, has to be from the employer’s same MPN.

You can get a third opinion from another doctor in that network if you are still unhappy. When you feel mistreated by the third doctor, you can request consulting someone out of their network.

Someone like your own doctor.

  • If Treated in a Health Care Organization (HCO)

You have to get first treated by a doctor from the HCO. You can later switch to another doctor in the HCO, but only once.

If your employer provides health insurance, you can switch to your doctor outside the HCO 180 days after reporting the injury. However, if not, you can consult your doctor outside the HCO 90 days after notifying the injury your employer.

  • If Treated in an MPN, HCO, and You Didn’t Pre-Designate Your Doctor

You can switch to a new doctor in the first 30 days after reporting your injury to your employer. The insurance company can choose the doctor but has to do it within five working days of your request.

If the insurance company misses this deadline, you can choose your doctor. You can also switch doctors if your employer or insurer doesn’t establish an MPN even after 30 days.

How You Can First Consult Your Doctor

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You may sometimes feel your employer’s physicians will favor the employer and minimize the compensation required to recuperate. This is when you may prefer consulting your doctor.

Don’t worry.

Here are two options for directly consulting your doctor in California.

  • Pre-Designation

Pre-designation is a request you have to place at any point while employed with your employer. Your request is to consult your physician if you get involved in an accident. With their permission, you can consult your physician directly if you get injured.

  • Employer’s Dishonest Practices

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Suppose you haven’t pre-designated your doctor and got injured at the workplace. You can go straight to your preferred physician if you learn your employer uses unlawful business practices.

According to the law, your employer should:

  • Inform you of your rights to pre-designate a doctor
  • Give a workers’ comp form as soon as they know about your accident.
  • Provide ample workers’ comp information at work

According to California law, you can consult your doctor first if any one of these conditions isn’t met. It proves that you believe your employer uses illegitimate business practices. It also proves there is a chance of their mishandling your treatment.

Your Workers’ Compensation Attorney in Glendale Can Clarify Things

There’s a high chance of your making some mistakes with so many alternatives available while filing for workers’ compensation. You can avoid errors by consulting your workers’ compensation attorney in Glendale. They will use their experience and knowledge to maximize your receivable workers’ compensation.

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