Real Estate Law Misconceptions

If you're injured on the job and pursue legal action with a workers' compensation case, one of the ways that your employer may be able to win the case is by discrediting your doctor and his or her diagnosis of you. The likelihood of being able to successfully do so is higher when a doctor has a less-than-stellar reputation in the community. After your injury, you'll commonly seek the care of a doctor. If you notice these signs, however, it's a good idea to immediately stop seeing him or her, and instead, hire a workers' compensation attorney who can refer you to a better doctor.

The Doctor Instructs You To Act In A Certain Way

Certain unscrupulous doctors may instruct you to act in a certain way to make it appear as though your workplace injury is more serious than it actually is. Doctors have an ethical code to follow, and a physician who essentially tells you to dramatize your symptoms is definitely not abiding by that code. For example, the doctor may tell you that limping when you walk or groaning when you sit down may be more impactful to your employer and even when you're in court, but this is not the type of physician with whom you want to be aligned.

The Doctor Falsifies His/Her Report

When you visit a doctor after a workplace injury, he or she will assess your injury and then write up a report about his or her observations. Even if you want the doctor's report to indicate a grim prognosis for the sake of your workers' compensation case, your first priority should be to see that the doctor is honest with the report. For example, if you say that your pain while bending is moderate, and the doctor says, "Let's say that it's severe, as this will have more impact in court," this is a bad sign.

The Doctor Discusses Getting Paid

If you've chosen a highly unscrupulous doctor, he or she might even make subtle references to you paying him or her upon a successful workers' comp case. For example, the doctor may indicate that his or her role will be pivotal in helping you to get a favorable financial decision, and that you might want to hand over some money as a way of showing your gratitude. This is unethical and means that you're dealing with a doctor who lacks credibility and could jeopardize your case. Stop seeing him or her immediately and speak to an attorney, like those at Galanti Law Office, about a better physician.