Suffering an on-the-job injury is no small thing. Depending on its severity, one of these injuries can knock an individual out of work while requiring him or her to seek out extensive medical care. The combination of lost wages and medical expenses can be financially devastating for Connecticut workers, which is why they need to carefully consider whether they can successfully seek out workers’ compensation benefits. While recovering these benefits can help ease the financial strain imposed upon injured workers, the workers’ compensation process can be quite difficult to navigate.
One area that often trips up claimants is the medical examination. Under Connecticut law, the commissioner of the workers’ compensation commission or an employer can request that an injured worker be subjected to medical examination. This examination can occur at any time, either pre- or post-claim adjudication, and it may occur multiple times over the life of a workers’ compensation claim.
These examinations must be reasonable and conducted by a reputable doctor. Those who refuse to comply with this request can have their workers’ compensation benefits ceased.
The main purpose of these examinations is to determine the severity of the injury in question. By reviewing the results of the examination, as well as other medical records, an employer and the state can better determine whether an injured worker is actually able to return to work. Therefore, the outcome of this medical examination is crucial to an injured worker’s financial stability.
Fortunately, these individuals are able to have their own medical professional present during the examination in order to protect fairness and given then an opportunity to refute the findings that come out of the examination.
This is just a small, albeit important, part of the workers’ compensation process. Yet, it highlights the intricacies of this system and how the smallest slipup can result in denied or stopped benefits. Those who have suffered a workplace injury may therefore want to firm up their understanding of the law and how to utilize it to their advantage, something that is often easier to do with the assistance of a qualified legal professional.
