I am pleased to introduce the Georgia workers’ compensation blog. In the days and months to come, I will be posting case studies, observations about the Georgia workers’ compensation system and answers to your questions about Georgia workers’ compensation. Please let me know what you think and what you want to know.
–Jodi
[tags] georgia workers compensation, workman’s compensation georgia, jodi ginsberg, georgia workers’ comp information [/tags]
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Jodi Ginsberg
Attorney at Ginsberg Law Offices
Attorney Jodi Ginsberg represents employees who are injured on the job and who need medical care and missed wage benefits available under Georgia's workers' compensation laws.
Brenda says
Can the worker’s comp. insurance company force a claimant to change doctors or submit to treatments they are opposed to?
Injured worker says
Brenda ! Insurance companys with the aid of an Defensive firm along with there company doctor could do almost anything ! Remember your fighting the insurance company your former employer or soon to be former employer a host of TOP DOG DOCTORS and sometimes the Board itself. Depending on if they like you.. It’s just that simple ! They can have a preponderance of nothing and you have something and you could lose! However , If you have a good atty. they will not be prevail in some cases!
Apparently your quite satisfied with your doctor ? There is also another trick that you need to be aware of your authorized treating physician could refer you for testing and treatment with another doctor. And unaware to you, this is just the type of Doctor you don’t want to see ! It’s like being lead straight to a LION”S mouth !
Submit to treatment your opposed to !? First, look at this from a laymans perspective ! Why would one be oppose to treatment is the first question anyone would ask ? Could it be harmful to your current condition ? Or are they just trying to have you just keep going to physical therapy when further testing needs to be done ?
What you must also understand is that the current medical system that is in place would rather treatment over cures !
Or better yet no treatment at all.. So let me make this clear for you they give you treatment and then say you have reached maximum medical treatment and your done, eventhough you’ve had the minimum in testing !! How is there a maximum medical treatment and then there is no limitation on your treatment ? The new phrase should be : What about maximum medical testing ! Of course this won’t happen any time soon! Example: Claimant has injury they had x-rays, but doctors can’t see anything .. It should be madatory that you get a MRI, CT scan, etc ,etc.. to determine what is wrong. However, Insurance company’s don’t want to cut threw the chase and take a real look with aid of a MRI etc etc . They’d rather have there lawyer put you threw a painfully slow jewdicial process in hope’s that you will exhaust yourself.. Remember there pockets are much deeper than most or your lawyer pockets!! And Cash Rules in alot of cases!
Pro Se
Rachael says
My employer had over twenty employees at the time of my injury, no doctors were posted, their workers comp. insurance had lapsed. what are their legal rights, after three surgeries, they have decided to stop trying to pay out of pocket.
R says
Brenda,
First let me thank you for your time & help.
I’m suffering from a foot injury from work that happened in 2005. I had another injury in 2002 on the same foot, but a specialist said they were different injuries(with my case worker present at the time). I had to have foot surgery (bone fusion & two screws put in ankle as well as 4 toes broken & a bunion removal). I’ve been to a specialist who said, at the time,” I should quit my job and drive a cab cause that’s all I can do with this foot”, a specialist who rated me 15% PPD w/ 40 min every hour standing capacity, a pain specialist who gave me perm disability rating (My foot has caused me to walk differently and led to back, leg and even my other foot hurting. I also have extreme depression & anxiety and was seeing a therapist per advice of my past employer).
A judge had me see a specialist and he said no standing for more than 20 minutes an hour, but didn’t see connection to back. He recommended a functional capacities exam, MRI of the heel and therapy for depression in the note submitted to the judge.
I’ve been out of work for 2 years(company downsized), but I’ve tried and been looking. Out of the 70 or so places I’ve applied over the net, via email, sent in mail, phone calls and friends, I can really only recall two or three interviews/face to face that I’ve had. When I came limping in, the job changed from customer service to working in warehouse pulling orders & stock.
I’ve done everything that my attorney, the past doctor’s, workers comp and everybody else involved has told or asked me to do.I want to get on with my life, but have doubts of what I can or can’t do. I’m always in pain from the time I get up till I go back to bed. I take no pain pills, cause they haven’t given me any, so I just grin and bear it, to the best that I can do.
Is there any advice you can give me of what I can do, what I’m entitled to and what else I should do.
Thanks again for taking the time to read this.
Jackie Giannantonio says
I cut my finger 10 days ago at work and was told to get a band-aid which was like pulling teeth. After much harassment and discrimination from managers, I filed a claim with EEOC. Now the company wants me to file a workers comp claim and take a drug test.
Upon arriving to work and getting started I was approached by manager Jamie and told to clock out, see their Doctor, have drug test and don’t come back to work until I get a release.
Should I be on the company clock while going to their Doctor and taking a drug test for them?