In addition to causing pain and potential physical limitations, workplace injuries can make your life incredibly stressful. You may worry about mounting medical bills or lost wages. Thankfully, a successful workers’ compensation claim can minimize these hardships.
However, you must ensure that your claim accounts for the full harm you suffered and its potential short – or – long-term effects in order to fully benefit from workers’ comp coverage. As such, you may need to ask your medical providers a few questions.
Request details about your injuries
Of course, your doctor will diagnose your injuries, but you’ll want to look deeper than any surface-level diagnosis. Ask for specifics about your condition, including:
- What exactly caused the injury? Understanding the mechanism of injury (repetitive strain, slip and fall) can strengthen the link to your work activities.
- What treatment options are available? Knowing the treatments you may undergo can help you plan for your recovery and eventual return to work.
- Are there potential long-term effects? Awareness of any complications or long-term side effects allows for proactive management and provides documentation for your claim.
Asking how long your recovery may take is also vital, as doing so can help you to estimate lost wages and other injury-related losses.
Ask how they made their diagnosis
Doctors use various methods to pinpoint injuries, such as a physical exam and imaging tests like X-rays. Ensure you obtain copies of all test results to solidify your medical evidence. Comprehensive records are vital for securing the proper value of your workers’ compensation benefits.
Understanding your injuries and providing medical evidence to support your diagnosis can help to ensure timely, maximum payouts when obtaining your benefits. Seeking legal guidance can also help you to pursue an Ohio workers’ compensation claim successfully, especially if you expect to encounter employer resistance.