Doctors Often Stuck in the Middle of Workers’ Compensation Claims

March 14, 2013

When a worker is hurt on the job, Wisconsin law requires the employer to cover medical expenses related to the injury by providing Wisconsin Workers’ Compensation benefits. Each year, roughly 6,500 employees take advantage of these benefits. However, doctors are saying that it is becoming increasingly difficult to balance an employer’s needs of getting a worker back on the job and a patient’s complaints of being unable to perform their duties.

A story from Medill Reports told of a Janesville, Wisconsin, woman who suffered a slip and fall accident on a patch of ice outside of her place of employment. She visited Dr. Mike Angeline, who determined she would be unable to walk for at least several weeks due to the injury. The note did not satisfy the victim’s employer, and another letter explaining the woman’s condition and the cause of the accident had to be drafted.

Dr. Angeline says he is often put in the middle of a battle between an employer trying to cut costs associated with a workers compensation claim and employees who need time off. Angeline goes on to explain he tries to find a balance between both needs.

The Wisconsin personal injury attorneys with Sigman, Janssen, Sewall, Pitz & Burkham understand the complexities of the workers’ compensation system. That’s why the firm says it may be able to help if you have been injured on the job and are preparing to file a claim for benefits.