5 Essential Steps To Take After a Slip-and-Fall Accident
If you have a slip-and-fall accident, there are five steps you should take immediately afterward, no matter where you fall. Here’s what you need to know.
Not every doctor has the expertise, patience, or stamina to deal with the endless bureaucratic red tape of a workers’ comp claim. That’s why you should see a doctor who specializes in handling such cases if you get hurt on the job or become ill because of it.
In Pompano Beach, Florida, that doctor is Patrick Brennan, DO, of Coastal Pain Medicine. He’s board-certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation, as well as in pain medicine. Here’s what he wants you to know about the workers’ compensation process.
Every state has its own rules about workers’ comp. In Florida, if you become injured or ill on the job, you have to report the problem to your employer within 30 days or risk losing any benefits.
The employer, in turn, contacts their insurance company, which sends you information about your rights and responsibilities, and provides information about the state’s workers' compensation law and what you need to do.
Your employer or the insurance company may ask you to see one of their doctors for an evaluation, or they may allow you to go to your own physician.
If you’re injured or ill, the last thing you want to worry about is filling out paperwork. You’ll be happy to know that in Florida, it’s the doctor who needs to fill out forms, specifically the DFS-F5-DWC-25. In this form, your doctor:
You don’t need to submit any paperwork yourself unless the state’s Division of Workers’ Compensation indicates they need more information. Usually, though, they follow up with the physician.
Once the insurance approves the proposed treatment plan, they cover all medical costs related to the claim.
Red tape is never any fun, but it helps if you understand the workers’ compensation mentality, and at Coastal Pain Medicine, we do. We also know that the pain from a job injury is different from long-term or degenerative pain, so we treat it differently.
Because we’re interventional pain medicine providers, we’re uniquely positioned to understand the nature of your injury. And we provide services, including a range of minimally invasive procedures, aimed at eliminating, or at least minimizing, your discomfort.
We’re also different from most physician offices in that we have an exclusive claims department. We routinely and expertly work with employers, claims adjusters, attorneys, and nurse case managers, which helps you navigate the system with the support you need to get things done.
We guarantee we’ll provide you with an initial assessment within three days after you contact us, and we deliver a 24-hour turnaround on all compliance paperwork (DWC-25) and the physician’s patient care notes.
Our goal is to find a permanent solution to your injury that allows you to achieve MMI quickly and to return to work as soon as possible.
If you’ve been hurt on the job and need help getting the necessary care and appropriate coverage, contact us today to schedule a consultation. We have a dedicated claims manager who guides you through the entire process.
