Workers’ Comp After ACL Injury

You Tore Your ACL at Work – Make Sure You Get What You Need From DC Workers’ Compensation

An injury to your anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) can be painful and debilitating. All types of workers are at risk for a serious knee injury. This can be caused by slipping, falling, twisting, lifting, and putting too much strain on the knee. We often see this injury in athletes. Pro athletes in DC are workers too, and they are entitled to the protection of our workers’ comp laws in DC, Maryland, and Virginia.

We also see many knee injuries, especially to the meniscus and ACL, in construction workers. This includes plumbers, steamfitters, pipefitters, electricians, elevator mechanics, carpenters, and laborers. Anyone who works on a construction site is at risk for an ACL injury. This is due to the site conditions: uneven ground, unfinished surfaces, holes in the floor, temporary steps, ladders, and railings.

Carrying tools, equipment, and materials on a construction site isn’t done under ideal conditions. This contributes to the risk of slipping, falling, or twisting the knee, leading to an injury.

Nurses and healthcare workers who lift, turn, and move patients in hospitals can also suffer serious knee injuries at work. Hospital environments can be dangerous, and the work is physically demanding.

Private security guards who patrol in all kinds of weather may slip on ice. They might also need to restrain and subdue a suspect, risking a knee or ACL injury.

What’s the First Step?

The first step, like any other injury at work that happens in DC, is to inform your employer. This is called giving notice of your injury. It is critical to ensure you get the proper workers’ comp benefits. These include medical treatment and monetary benefits while you can’t work. You must inform a supervisor or someone in HR; it’s not enough to tell a co-worker. You can’t just say “My knee hurts” or “I need to see a doctor for my knee, it’s bothering me.”

Tell your supervisor that the injury happened at work. You have 30 days to give this notice, but don’t wait. The sooner you inform your employer about your knee injury, the better. Delaying this slows down and delays the medical treatment you need for your knee. It can also worsen the injury if you continue to work and don’t get it checked by a doctor. This should be a real doctor, not some “Workman’s Clinic” or insurance company doctor.

Waiting to tell your company about the knee injury gives them more reason to deny your legitimate workers’ comp claim. They may question why you waited and whether it really happened at home or while playing basketball.

How Do You Find a Doctor to Treat Your ACL Injury?

There are many great doctors in the DC area who specialize in treating and surgically repairing ACL injuries. Most of them will accept workers’ comp insurance. Under the workers’ comp system, you will not have a co-pay or other charges. Under DC workers’ comp law, you have the right to see the doctor of your choice.

The workers’ comp insurance company for your job may tell you that you need to see one of their doctors or go to their clinic. They might say they have a “network of approved physicians” you should see for the knee injury. This is not true.

Yes, they have insurance medical examiner doctors who the insurance company pays to examine you. These doctors might say there is nothing wrong with your knee. They have doctors who see many patients from the insurance company, and they have clinics they pay for. Their job is to limit the cost of the medical care and benefits the insurance company has to pay you.

Whose side will these insurance doctors and clinic doctors be on? Yours or the insurance company that pays their salaries?

An ACL tear is serious. Get a real doctor, an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in this type of injury and surgery. If you can’t find one, let us know. We can tell you which insurance doctors to avoid and give you the names of specialists our clients have chosen and liked in the past.

Dealing With the DC Workers’ Comp Insurance Company After an ACL Injury

You don’t have to deal with them on your own. We tell people all the time that if you have a minor injury and just need to get it checked out or don’t miss work because of it, you don’t need a workers’ comp lawyer.

But an ACL injury can be career-ending. You need to do everything right from the beginning. The insurance company shouldn’t take advantage of you and your family by paying you less than they should. They might not tell you about future benefits you can get and limit your medical treatment.

Remember, the insurance adjuster has handled hundreds or thousands of workers’ comp cases for that insurance company. Their job is to protect the insurance company, no matter how nice they seem. This also applies to the insurance company nurses, case managers, doctors, lawyers, and investigators you will be up against.

Get the Best Workers’ Comp Lawyer for You and Your Family From the Beginning

If you need help with a workers’ comp case, call us today at 202-393-3320 or schedule a free consultation by clicking here.

Don’t wait. Every day that goes by gives the insurance company more time to work against you and your family. You should have the same level of expertise and professionalism on your side as the insurance company has on theirs. It’s your responsibility to take care of yourself and your family while you are injured and out of work.