If you’re injured on the job, you have a responsibility to report this injury to your employer as soon as possible. Bear in mind that while you may take your own steps to get treated for this issue, you are only able to see your own doctor if you have predesignated by informing your employer in writing before you are injured the name and address of your personal medical group or physician.
If you predesignate and you are injured on the job in California, you are eligible to see your medical group or personal physician listed on that form immediately after you are injured. However, in most cases, you will be treated by your employer or insurance company’s medical provider network unless you have predesignated your medical professional for California workers’ comp.
Even if you are not seeing your own doctor for the approval of the workers’ comp claim, it’s still a good idea to keep up with all your other medical appointments. You can also see your own doctor to discuss your case and you should keep notes after those meetings, too. Overall, you should be able to tell the story of your injury in clear and convincing terms, so you should note all appointments, devices used, ways in which your life has changed, and expenses.
Work directly with your employer to make sure that you are handling all of the details of your worker’s comp claim appropriately. This can increase your chances to getting approved for benefits. If appointments are scheduled for you with medical professionals in the providers’ network, these may be essential for getting paperwork signed and having your injury properly documented. Contact a dedicated lawyer to discuss your next steps.