Back And Neck Injuries From Work

Medical Treatment for Back and Neck Injuries

It is not surprising that people who perform work that requires heavy lifting, such as Construction, Oil and Gas, Mining, Nursing, Package Handling, or the like, sustain back and neck injuries. Regardless of what work you were doing when you injured your back or neck, it is important that you report it to your employer right away. It is always recommended that you report it in writing and keep a copy for yourself.

Why do you need to keep a copy? Because employers and insurance carriers love to deny claims. If they can make the process difficult enough for you to give up, they win, as it would be one more claim that they didn’t have to pay money on.

Once you report your back or neck injury, under Colorado Law, your employer is required to provide you with a list of four physicians or four corporate medical providers, or a combination thereof. You may select the physician who cares for your back or neck injury from that list. (This rule is slightly different if you live in a rural area). Once you have the list, you need to get treatment right away. You don’t want to delay. You have 90 days from your date of injury to do a one-time change to another physician for treatment of your back or neck injury. If you are unhappy with the demeanor of your treatment provider if you think that provider is not listening to you, or if you think the treatment you are receiving is inadequate, you only have 90 days to request a change of physician without having to go to court.

Spinal Cord injuries can be serious and life-altering. You need a treatment provider who is your advocate, not an advocate for the insurance company. Don’t sit back and wait. Reach out to an experienced workers’ compensation firm to guide you through the process.