CONCUSSIONS IN THE WORK PLACE

CONCUSSIONS IN THE WORK PLACE

Concussions are being taken seriously in athletics around the world, and they should be taken seriously in the work place as well.  Concussion injuries at work can often lead to symptoms involving headaches, vision problems, dizziness, light sensitivity, noise sensitivity, heightened anxiety, and concentration problems.  Treatment often involves consulting with several medical providers.  It is also common in work related head injuries for head MRI and CT scans to be normal.  Sometimes, this gives the worker=s compensation insurance company an opportunity to deny the injured worker=s claim by utilizing an insurance company medical examination (IME) done by a doctor hired by the insurance company to potentially deny your claim.  The IME doctor may indicate that the injured worker requires no work restrictions or medical treatment and should go back to work.  However, the injured worker should understand that he or she may rely on the work restrictions and treatment recommendations of his or her own medical providers. Unfortunately, a denied claim will result in no further payments for lost time from work and medical expenses.  These benefits can only be obtained by having the case heard by an administrative law judge.  As a result, any time a worker’s compensation insurance company denies a claim, the injured worker should strongly consider consulting an attorney for reinstatement or recoupment of work comp benefits.  Our initial consultations are free.