I just want to be treated fairly

Birmingham Workers’ Compensation Lawyers: I just want to be treated fairly: I freely admit that I love college football; I’ve had season tickets since graduation and enjoy going to games with my family. One thing I’ve noticed during games is that when any player is injured-regardless of which team they play for, the crowd always applauds their support for the player and hopes that their injury is minor. Far too often, the opposite happens when a worker suffers a job injury.

Most injured workers who call and speak with us do so because they do not believe that they are being treated fairly. They aren’t calling simply because they want to get as much money as possible, they are calling because they feel as though they are being given the run around and not receiving fair treatment.

When an injured worker expresses this concern with us, we try to let them know that most of the problems they are facing are most likely not due to actions of their employers, but due to the actions of the workers’ compensation insurance carrier. Workers’ compensation insurance companies make a LOT of money, and the simple fact is that they make more money by refusing to pay for medical treatment which may be costly and by paying the injured worker less than they are legally entitled to receive.

A large percentage of our time is spent arguing with the workers’ compensation insurance carrier about our their refusal to authorize needed medical treatment because they do not want to pay for tests. Alabama law states that the comp carrier “shall pay” for any and all reasonably necessary medical treatment, but that doesn’t mean that the workers’ compensation carrier will automatically do what they are supposed to do.

Typically, what happens is that the treating physician orders an expensive test or recommends surgery, but workers comp doesn’t want to spend the money, so they engage in Utilization Review (UR) UR is the process by which the workers comp carrier send some of the injured worker’s medical records to a doctor (typically in another State) and then this doctor opines that the treatment or tests recommended really isn’t necessary, and based on this, workers comp denies paying for your medical care.

While no one can say what tomorrow may bring, to date we not lost an argument before a judge about whether workers comp has to pay for the recommended medical treatment is such a situation, but a lawsuit does have to be filed before the matter can be taken before the court.

If you have been denied ordered medical care, or if you just have questions about your right to Alabama Workmans Compensation benefits, please do not hesitate to contact and speak with one of the experienced Birmingham Workmans Compensation Lawyers at Powell and Denny today.

Powell and Denny: We Work When You Can’t

Offices in Birmingham, AL and Huntsville, AL

Birmingham Workers’ Compensation Lawyers I just want to be treated fairly

Powell and Denny has been selected as one of the Best Law Firms by U.S. News and World Report for each of the last 5 years and Powell and Denny, P.C.-has been selected as one of the “Best of the Best” law firms by The American Registry.

Huntsville Workers’ Compensation Attorneys