#196 Georgia Workers' Compensation Lawyer - How Will Going Back To Work Affect My Workers' Compensation Case?

What happens when you return back to work? Hello, my name is Ty Wilson. I'm a Georgia Workers’ Compensation Attorney, practicing law in the state of Georgia. And a common question we get is “What happens, I've been injured on the job, I'm out of work, I'm receiving weekly checks, and now my employer is asking me to come back to work? And so what happens if I return back to work? Well, one of the first questions that you have to ask yourself as an injured worker is, “Are you physically capable of returning back to the work that you were doing prior to your injury?” Some injuries you're able to heal and get back to the same type of work. And that's great. However, there are some injuries that are far more serious and you are not going to return back to work. And in fact, your doctor typically will tell you you're not going to be able to return to the same type of work you are doing. And so what happens in those cases? In those cases, it could be that the employer is just bringing you back to work so that the insurance company can stop paying you those weekly checks. It may not actually be a long term solution for you. And so you want to really think long and hard about if you are physically able to return back to the work you are doing.You need to know that once you do return back to work, if that's what you choose to do, that your weekly checks will stop. And at that point, you have a deadline that starts running, and it's what's called an independent medical examination. You get one independent medical evaluation. The doctor of your choosing, paid for by the insurance company, up to the statutory amount for your injuries. However, you have to have it scheduled within 120 days of your last income benefit check. If there's any questions to always recommended that you reach out to a Georgia worker's compensation attorney. But this would give you an opportunity for a second set of eyes. Second opinion, if you will. Based upon what your doctor has said. The doctor is releasing you to some form of light duty work and your employer is trying to bring you back to work. They're working to cut those checks off. And that's fine if you're going to get back to the job. However, if you're more seriously injured and you're not able to get back to that job, what do you do? Well, this is where you want to look into potentially exercising what is called an independent medical evaluation. I always recommend you speak with Georgia Workers Compensation and turn in their deadlines. And things are moving pretty quickly, and you need to know who to go to. And certainly, a Workers’ Compensation Attorney can help you find a doctor who will listen to you and then discuss with you what is in your best interest. One Last thing you need to be concerned about if you are returning back to your former job is What happens if you re-injured yourself? Well, depending upon how the injury occurs, you may have a new injury. It's not something you want to look forward to, and it's certainly not something you want to get involved with if you could help it, However, it is something that's there should you get reinjured. Depending upon if it is the same body part that was injured before or not. CALL US ►  912-208-2992TEXT US ► 912-233-1100EMAIL US ► [email protected] •  Website•  Facebook•  Pinterest