Workers’ Compensation
What Is Workers’ Compensation?
Workers’ compensation is a form of insurance that protects you and your wages if you’re injured while working. If you experience an injury on the job, you may qualify for workers’ compensation benefits, such as covered medical expenses and wage reparations for lost work time.
Work-related injuries may occur from the acute trauma of an accident or fall, or from chronic overuse injuries that gradually result in damage to joints and tissues. They can occur anywhere on the body, but most commonly affect extremities like hands, wrists, feet and ankles.
In Louisiana, all employers—excluding those that are statutorily exempt—are responsible for the medical care of their employees who experience an injury on the job. This responsibility spans full-time, part-time, seasonal, and minor workers. When you experience a hand injury on-site, contact the Hand Center of Louisiana. We’ll take care of you and handle the workers’ compensation process.
How Is a Physician Involved in a Workers’ Compensation Hand Injury Case?
At the Hand Center of Louisiana, our team of highly trained physicians bring substantial expertise and experience to workers’ compensation cases for hand injuries. They understand how to provide the timely, targeted treatment to ensure better outcomes and expedite an employee’s return to work. At the same time, they understand how to streamline the workers’ compensation claim by facilitating excellent communication among patients, case managers, insurance adjusters, and employers.
Our experienced physicians provide the following services for workers’ compensation cases:
- Independent medical examinations (IMEs)
- Second medical opinions (SMOs)
- Impairment ratings
At the Hand Center of Louisiana, we also offer fully integrated, on-site care that includes the physical and occupational therapy services that are crucial to recovering from an on-the-job injury.
How Should I Handle My On-the-Job Hand Injury?
If you experience an injury within the scope of your employment, contact your employer immediately. By law, you have 30 days to notify your employer of your injury to qualify for workers’ compensation benefits. Your employer then has 10 days to report the injury to their workers’ compensation insurance company.
Before or soon after contacting the Hand Center of Louisiana for an appointment, gather and document these important details pertaining to your workers’ compensation case:
- Date of injury and the specific location where it occurred
- Employer at time of injury
- Any witnesses to the injury
- Workers’ compensation claim number
- Name of workers’ compensation insurance company and its address
- Name of insurance company adjuster and their contact information
In the days following your injury, it’s also a good idea to keep a log of its effects on your life. Can you drive with your injury? Does your pain keep you from doing household work, shopping and other necessary tasks? Do you have to spend more money to accommodate your injury? If your employer tries to fight your charges of a hand injury at work, it’s smart to have a documented list of ways your life has been impacted by the incident in question.
Proud to Be Your Hand Doctor for Your Workers’ Comp Case
At the Hand Center of Louisiana, we recognize the difficulty of experiencing a work-related injury. That’s why we strive to make the process as simple, easy, and effective as possible. Our experienced team coupled with our highly trained physicians work with you to ensure that you return to work as soon as possible in the safest and healthiest manner.
When you schedule an appointment to get workers’ comp from a hand injury, we’ll get you on the road to treatment and recovery within five steps or less:
- During your first appointment, you’ll meet with one of our empathetic, experienced physicians for an evaluation. Almost all of them are certified hand surgeons who have dealt with all manners of upper extremity conditions and will quickly reach a diagnosis. You may need to get an X-ray or another test at this time to confirm a diagnosis.
- At the completion of your evaluation and diagnosis, you and your physician will determine the best course of treatment. It may be surgical, medication-based, therapeutic or a combination of all three.
- If you need surgery, you’ll finish the consultation by scheduling a date for the procedure. Then, you’ll visit our Hand Counseling Center following your appointment to meet with a counselor who can answer your questions and educate you on anything you need to know to prepare.
- If your treatment was not administered on the day of your appointment, the next step is to go through your treatment process as prescribed.
- At the end of your treatment, you’ll receive another evaluation to determine whether you’re ready to return to work or if you need physical therapy or other assistance at our Hand Therapy Center. Even with the most complex surgeries, you can begin therapy days after the procedure.
How Do I Receive Hand Treatment or a Consultation?
The Hand Center of Louisiana is your hand doctor for workers’ compensation. If you need care for a workers’ compensation injury, or you would like to get a second medical opinion (SMO), contact our experienced Workers’ Compensation Coordinator today using the information below: