What To Do When Injured

The following steps are critical to your Nashville Workers Compensation case:

1. Report your injury immediately to your employer. In Tennessee, a form known as the “First Report of Work Injury” should be completed. If possible, get a copy of your report to make sure you have a record of its completion;
2. Get immediate treatment and continue seeing the doctor until he releases you; The Nashville employee should be given a choice of three (3) physicians not associated together in practice. The list or panel of these physicians should be in or near the employee’s community of residence. You have the privilege of choosing one physician from the list of three. The employee is then required to accept treatment from the chosen physician and should not see any other physician unless the chosen physician makes a referral.
3. Tell your doctor the truth. Do not exaggerate your injuries. Do not overstate the locations of injuries. If you are not specific and accurate many of the workers compensation approved doctors will not believe you. However, it is just as important to be specific, answers like “fine” “okay” will not help you doctor arrive at an appropriate diagnosis and course of treatment. Another thing to watch out for is the Friday afternoon accident. Some people get hurt on a Friday but wait to until Monday to report the injury to their employers. Unfortunately, the employers will almost certainly deny the and argue that you were injured over the weekend. If you are hurt on a Friday, report it on Friday and seek medical treatment on Friday. Remember you are entitled to a choice of three physicians in Tennessee. If possible get some advice before you choose a doctor. At the very least, ask your co-workers if they are familiar with any of the physicians. If you can, contact an experienced Nashville workers compensation attorney. There are physicians who are known to be excellent care givers and others who are known to be poor. There are physicians we know who seem to be reluctant to believe an employee when he or she says they are hurt. We are familiar with most of the workers compensation doctors in middle Tennessee, so feel free to give us a call.

If a physician takes you off work for more than seven days, you may be entitled to temporary disability payments. An injured employee is not paid for the first seven (7) days of disability. On the eighth (8th) day, the employee is eligible for one day’s benefits, on the ninth (9th) day, the employee is eligible for two days’ benefits, and so on. If the employee continues to lose time from work through the fourteenth (14th) day, the seven-day waiting period will be picked up and the employee will be due benefits for all fourteen (14) days.

Contact an experienced Nashville attorney at The Higgins Firm who knows the Workers Compensation Law. The Tennessee work comp law is complex and confusing. Unless you have a Nashville personal injury lawyer who knows the laws, you will be left in the dark as to whether you are being treated fairly.

Contact us online or call us at 800-705-2121 to set up a FREE consultation to discuss your legal options.