What Rights Do You Have With Respect to Who Treats You?
You’ve been hurt on the job, and it’s either making it difficult for you to work, or it’s preventing you from being gainfully employed. Your first concern, after any injury, is about getting the care you need so that you maximize the likelihood of full recovery. Can you simply schedule an appointment with your primary care physician, or take yourself to the hospital or urgent care facility? How much control do you have over who treats your injuries?
New Jersey Law Generally Gives the Employer the Right to Choose the Caregiver
Unlike most other states, New Jersey does not give an injured worker the right to select a doctor or other caregiver, with a few exceptions. As a general rule, the employer or the workers’ compensation insurance provider gets to select who will provide initial treatment. In the immediate aftermath of an injury, once you’ve notified your employer (who will subsequently notify the workers’ comp insurance provider), your employer will designate who you must see for treatment. You must submit to treatment by the selected doctor, either for the first 10 visits or the first 30 days, whichever is completed first. Once you’ve completed 10 visits or 30 days, you can ask the New Jersey Division of Workers’ Compensation for a change of treating physician, but there’s no right to change your doctor. You can request a second opinion, but such a request must be approved by the insurer.
General Exceptions to the Rule
Under limited circumstances, you may have the right to treatment by someone other than the doctor selected by the insurance company:
- Any care that is provided on an emergency basis
- Care for a pre-existing condition by the doctor who previously treated you
- Care by a physician approved by the workers’ compensation judge after a formal request
Contact the Cintron Firm
At the Cintron Firm, LLC, we offer more than 14 years of experience to people in New Jersey facing a broad array of legal challenges. Attorney Mark Cintron has worked as a prosecutor and has extensive courtroom experience, so he’s always ready, willing, and able to protect your interests before a judge or jury. Contact our office online, or call us at 917-494-5695 to set up an appointment.