Bigotry in Workers Compensation Cases

Employees who suffer injuries often times suffer a form of prejudice or bigotry from the medical profession during treatment for their injuries. In a vast majority of our cases, clients describe how the doctors and other medical professionals treat them as if they are “trying to get away with something.” This is a real problem. There are far too many cases where doctors enjoy wonderful relationships with their non-work related patients, but have very poor relationships with the work-related patients.

Since Indiana gives the right to furnish medical treatment to the employer, the stage is set for this  kind of injustice and bigotry to continue. There is a natural friction between who is paying for the service and selecting the doctor, and who is receiving the service. I’ve met many doctors who are new to the workers compensation arena and I feel hopeful, believing that they have the best interest of the patient at heart. However, it seems that after four or five years of the employers or their insurance company’s treatment of the doctors, they tend to see workers compensation patients as more trouble, and this frustration seeps into their treatment of the patients.

Perhaps this perception of “trouble” is related to things such as; difficultly in receiving payment, getting authorization for services, having to answer the nurse case managers who follow patients around, and the workers compensation system in general. Nevertheless, this bigotry is wrong.

My advice is to talk to the doctor in a calm objective fashion, explain your symptoms clearly, and simply ask the doctor his professional opinion on what is best. I do believe that doctors went to medical school so that they can help other people. If the injured worker vocalizes their trust and confidence in the doctor, I think it will be returned more times than it is not. Contact us today for your workers compensation claim.