How do you get medical care if you have been hurt on the job? If you are injured on the job, you should immediately report it to your supervisor or boss and request treatment for your injuries.  If you are hospitalized, you should still reach out to the employer and let them know you were injured on the job. 

The hospital may refer you to a specialist depending upon your injuries.  So, how do you know what doctor you can go to for medical care? 

In Georgia, the employer is supposed to maintain a posted panel of physicians also known as a list of doctors you can treat with if you are injured on the job.  There are several requirements that make a “panel” legally valid which are not the scope of this post.

We will presume the panel is valid.  There are three types of panels, one having as few as six doctors to as many as a phone book of physicians(managed care organization). 

You should have the ability to choose a doctor from the employer’s panel, the workers’ compensation insurance adjuster should reach out to the doctor’s office and approve/authorize you to visit with emergency treatment being treated differently.  This is a fancy way of saying the adjuster will promise to pay for your visit.

Please note if you do not have an approved/authorized visit, typically the medical provider will not see you no matter how much pain you are in.  The medical provider wants to be paid and will not agree to see you until they know from the insurance adjuster that they will be paid. So be careful.

Please note every state is different and have unique or different rules, the information in this post is for Georgia workers’ compensation claims.  It is always recommended that if you have questions about a work injury in your state you speak with a local workers’ compensation attorney.

Ty Wilson Law is a Savannah, Georgia law firm, serving clients who have been injured in an automobile accident or in the workplace.

Ty Wilson Law
1 E. Bay St. #305
Savannah, GA 31401
(912) 233-1100
https://www.tywilsonlaw.com/