Many workers who suffer back injuries in Georgia do not receive the medical treatment they need from workers’ compensation.
To recover as fully as possible from a work-related back injury, follow these steps:
- Report the injury to your employer. If you fail to report the injury within 30 days, you could lose your right to file for workers’ compensation benefits.
- Request a copy of the panel of workers’ compensation doctors from your employer or the worker’s compensation insurance company. Make an appointment with one of the listed doctors.
- Attend all of your doctor appointments, even if you feel you are not getting better. If you miss appointments, you could lose your right to receive workers’ compensation benefits.
Back injuries are serious and can leave you permanently unable to work if you don’t receive proper treatment. It’s important for you to be patient and to continue medical treatment until you recover as fully as possible. As long as the injury is work-related, you are entitled to free medical care from Georgia workers’ compensation. You are also entitled to weekly disability benefits for as long as you are unable to work or can only work part-time.
The insurance company or the workers’ compensation doctor may attempt to minimize your back injuries or claim you suffered the injury from a non-work accident. However, you have the right to obtain a second opinion. Even if you had an existing back condition, you have a right to workers’ compensation if your work activities aggravated the injury.
If you are having problems with your work-related back injury claim, it’s important to seek prompt legal advice. An experienced workers’ compensation lawyer can ensure that you take all the right steps to obtain the medical and other benefits you need.