For employees who are injured on the job or develop
occupational diseases, this insurance pays for medical expenses and partial wage
replacement during periods of temporary disability. It may also provide
permanent impairment benefits for those who qualify.
employers with one or more full-time or part-time employees
are required by law to provide workers' compensation insurance coverage for
their employees. Coverage may be purchased from any authorized insurance
company.
Independent contractors may not be able to claim worker compensation benefits unless they have purchased workers' compensation insurance
for themselves.
A life or limb threatening injury means an injury
that you believe threatens a portion of your body or your life in such a way
that immediate medical care is needed to prevent your death or serious
damage. In all other instances, notify your employer or supervisor,
If you do not report your injury to your employer in
writing within four working days, you may be penalized and lose up to one
day's compensation for each day's delay, If you
choose to seek your own medical care it may result in nonpayment of
medical benefits and you may be liable for your medical costs.
An
insurance company may deny a claim if the adjuster has reason to believe
that the injury is not work related or if it is believed that they do not have
complete and accurate information and further investigation is necessary.
It is a plan set up by an employer so injured workers can return to work more quickly
and safely while they heal either with changes to their regular job or in a temporary,
alternate work assignment In most cases, some work is better than no work.
Your employer will benefit from your being able to help the company in some way, even if it is not in
your regular job, your doctor fills out a form to tell about the parts of your job you
can safely do such as lifting, standing, and driving.
A copy is given to you, your employer and insurance carrier. You will keep receiving Temporary Income Benefits
as long as you are qualified if your doctor releases you to return to work with
restrictions, but your employer doesn’t have a job that meets your medical
restrictions.
If you are receiving Temporary Income Benefits, your weekly
benefit check may be suspended while you are working, or reduced, depending
on what actual wages you earn. If you return to work and later your doctor
takes you back off work, your checks may be restored, if you are still eligible.
Your medical benefits continue, as long as it is for reasonable and necessary
treatment that is related to the injury law firms Protect you.
The treating doctor and insurance carrier shall send to the designated doctor without the requirement of a
signed release from the injured employee, all the injured employee’s medical evidence in their possession
relating to the medical condition to be evaluated by the designated doctor. Either party may submit with this
medical evidence an analysis, a videotape or other physical evidence it would like the designated doctor to
review which may indicate the injured employee’s medical condition has improved or has not improved
sufficiently to allow the injured employee to return to work.
An analysis may include supporting information
such as marked copies of medical records, provided the original medical record is left intact and unmarked. If
the insurance carrier sends an analysis or physical evidence to the designated doctor, the insurance carrier
shall send a copy to the treating doctor, the injured employee, and the injured employee’s representative if
any. If the treating doctor sends an analysis or physical evidence to the designated doctor, the treating doctor
shall send a copy to the insurance carrier, the injured employee, and the injured employee’s representative if
any.
The designated doctor is authorized to receive the injured employee’s confidential medical and physical
evidence provided by either party to assist in the resolution of whether the injured employee’s medical
condition has improved sufficiently to allow the injured employee to return to work. The medical evidence
must not contain any marks, highlights, or other alterations placed on such records for the purpose of
communicating with or influencing the designated doctor.
The medical and physical evidence must be
received by the designated doctor at least three days prior to the date of the appointment as specified in the
commission order. If the medical evidence is marked, highlighted, altered, or unrelated to the medical
condition to be evaluated by the designated doctor, the designated doctor shall notify the commission and
report the noncompliance of the treating doctor and/or insurance carrier.
If the designated doctor has not
received the medical evidence at least three days prior to the examination, the designated doctor’s office shall
notify the commission at the appropriate field office and the appropriate commission staff will send an order
to the treating doctor and/or insurance carrier for the delivery of medical evidence.
