Shortly after a serious Workers’ Comp accident, you may receive a phone call from a person identifying themselves as a nurse case manager (NCM). This person works for the insurance company that is paying for your workers’ compensation medical care. This person may tell you that they are here to make your medical treatments work better and deal with the stress of medical treatment so you can focus on improve your physical situation. Before accepting your help or responding to your request, consult with a professional who does not have a conflict of interest in your case. Your condition after a serious work injury may require different types of treatment.
You may experience physical pain and mental anguish as you worry about how to pay your personal or family expenses when you are unable to work. You may also worry if your condition will permanently disable you. This is not the best time to make critical decisions that could affect your health care and workers’ compensation benefits.
The NCM knows that you are under tremendous stress and will offer all kinds of help. The most advisable thing is to answer: “Because of my accident, I am not making decisions at the moment. Please give me your number and I’ll call you back ASAP.” This will give you time to educate yourself on what an NCM is and if they can really help you. It’s not a rule, but you may want to limit the amount of money you spend. The insurance company has to pay for your treatment of the workers’ compensation claim You should be aware that this person works for the insurance company.
The company you work for by law must have worker’s compensation coverage, therefore, you contracted an insurance policy with a company that is covering your WC case, this insurance company in turn contracts an NCM ( nurse/case manager) they may try to persuade the medical team that you can return to work now, often sooner than your doctors think is good for you. Once this happens and you return to work, workers’ compensation benefits generally end. A nurse case manager may try to talk you into going back to work too soon.
Taking into account the above, it is advisable immediately after having an accident to contact a professional who knows your rights regarding worker’s compensation. An attorney will be able to represent and work for you while preserving your rights. The goal of choosing and retaining an attorney is to represent you by making sure that you don’t have to go back to work before your medical condition permits and that your providers don’t deny you important treatment, because the insurance company usually does not authorize paying for expensive tests, treatments or medications.
If you were injured at work and are in any of these cases, it is very likely that you will need legal advice or representation to obtain the benefits to which you are entitled, so it is advisable to contact a lawyer dedicated to compensation cases at worker (Workers’ Comp). This article is not intended to serve as legal advice. It is for informational purposes only.