If you have an injury that is covered by North Carolina workers’ comp insurance, it is essential that one takes the right steps when seeking medical treatment. Although receiving appropriate medical care is important, it is also vital that injured workers maximize their workers’ comp benefits to ensure that they are properly compensated for those injuries. At Cardinal Law Partners, we are committed to helping injured workers whose workers’ compensation claims have been denied or delayed by insurance companies.
What Is Workers’ Compensation?
Workers’ compensation plans provide wage and medical benefits to employees who become ill or are injured at work. This type of insurance is mandated by North Carolina for each employer that has three or more employees. Oftentimes, business owners purchase workers’ compensation insurance for their employees to protect themselves from civil suits from workers who become injured on the job. While workers’ compensation insurance is purchased by the business itself, the plans are underwritten by insurance companies with the exception of a few large employers that are self-insured.
When Do You Need To Visit Doctors?
Let’s take those who require physical therapy (PT) after an injury. An injury or a surgical procedure can cause a worker to lose his or her muscle strength. In these cases, doctors may prescribe PT and/or rehabilitative therapy to build back lost strength, flexibility, mobility, and muscle mass right after diagnosing the injury or completing a surgery. In fact, PT is one of the most common types of medical treatment found in workers’ compensation claims.
Common Problems Encountered During Workers’ Compensation Claims Processes
If your first physical therapy session has not been approved after a week or two, your workers’ compensation insurance carrier may be delaying or denying the claims process. Below is a quick look at some of the common scenarios:
- Insurance companies denying one’s request for treatment by filing a Form 61
- Insurance companies simply not approving the treatment without denying the request
- Insurance companies delaying the approval process by getting a second opinion from the treatment specialist or by utilization review documents
- Insurance companies partially approve a doctor’s recommendations
How Cardinal Law Partners Can Help
At Cardinal Law Partners, our experienced attorneys represent a great array of workers throughout North Carolina with offices in Raleigh, Greensboro, Charlotte, and Belmont. We have many years of experience representing injured and recovering workers in North Carolina, and that’s why our team is familiar with the various tactics used by insurance companies to deny their claims any delay treatment. Cardinal Law Partners also has over 50 years of collective legal experience and will develop individualized plans for each client that effectively address their legal needs. Our team can set up a court hearing and handle all of the administrative matters pertaining to our clients’ workers’ compensation claims.
Cardinal Law Partners’ lawyers include Attorney Kristin Henriksen, Attorney Justin Wraight, Attorney John Landry, and Attorney Megan Callahan. All of them are board-certified specialists in North Carolina workers’ compensation law as well.
If you wish to learn more about Cardinal Law Partners’ stellar expertise in managing the doctors our clients see as part of the workers’ compensation claims, do not hesitate to schedule a free, initial consultation with us today!