Workers' Compensation Medical Benefits

The Alabama Workers' Compensation Act is expressly intended to provide medical benefits to injured workers. In order to begin to receive medical benefits, you should read about the first steps to take when you are injured. In order to be eligible for workers' compensation medical benefits, there are a few simple requirements: 

• The worker must have been acting in the line and scope of employment
• The injury must not be a result of drug or alcohol intoxication

If you have questions, you can read more about whether your injury will be covered under workers' compensation. 

What Medical Benefits are provided?

Your employer will provide you with medical treatment by assigning you a doctor that will be known as your Authorized Treating Physician. Your Authorized Treating Physician will then direct your medical treatment and provide you whatever treatment is reasonable and medically necessary to treat your injury. Common treatment options include:

• Surgery 
• Physical Therapy
• Pain Management
• Long-term care

Your Authorized treating physician will refer you to different medical specialists or treatment facilities as your need arises. You will not receive medical treatment for any pre-exising ailment or injury, or for injuries that are not work-related. 

Who Selects the Authorized Treating Physician? 

Your employer gets to choose your doctor. You do not get to consult your regular physician for medical treatment unless your employer approves. In fact, consulting medical treatment without approval of your employer may result in your employer not paying for the medical expense. 

However, if you do not like the doctor, you can request a second opinion. There is a procedure required to request a second opinion, and you are only allowed to do it once, so it is a good idea to consult with an attorney before usuing that option. You are invited to contact me if you want to discuss your claim in further detai. 

Duration of Medical Benefits | MMI | FCE

Medical benefits are provided for as long as is reasonably necessary to treat the work-related injury. At some point, however, you reach a point where your condition has improved as much as it is going to improve. This does not always mean you are healed, but that your condition has plateaud. Your Authorized Treating Physician will determine that you have reached a point of Maximum Medical Improvement, which is commonly referred to as "MMI."  

Once you reach MMI, it is common, but not mandatory, that your Authorized Treating Physician will order a test to evaluate the extent of your permanent injuries. This test is known as a Functional Capacity Evaluation, or "FCE", and is commonly conducted at a physical therapy facility. Whether your injury and treatment requires an FCE is determined by your Authorized Treating Physician. 

Regardless, there is no limit to the duration of your medical benefits. They last for as long as you require treatment unless you choose to close that right as part of your settlement. 

Free Initial Strategy Session

All Initial Strategy Sessions are Free. If you would like to discuss your options, you are invited to fill out one of the Contact Forms. I will attempt to contact you if I think I can help you.

During your Initial Strategy Session, I will asist you in creating a strategy on how to best pursue your claim, whether it be the result of a Car Accident Claim, 18 Wheeler Injury, or, Alabama Workers' Compensation Claim. At your Initial Strategy Session, you will receive the following:

• First - I will listen to your story. You will have a chance to tell everything to someone who wants to hear what happened to you.
• Based on the information that you provide, I will give you my best advice on both what claims you have, and the next steps you should consider to proceed with your claim(s).
• If your claim is something that I think I can help you with, I will explain the services that I can provide for you, and what the next steps are that we should take. We will start working immediately.
• If your matter is something that I do not think I can help you with, then I will attempt to put you in contact with another lawyer that might be able to help you.
• Either way, what should happen is we will put to rest some of the unkowns that you may be experiencing. We will start to shed some light on what you can expect, and how to best pursue the benefits you deserve.

Don't delay getting the recovery you deserve! Contact us today for your free Strategy Session!