ACL Injuries and D.C. Workers’ Compensation

If you tore your ACL at work in Washington, D.C., you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits for medical treatment and lost wages while you recover.

An ACL tear is a serious knee injury that can make it hard to stand, walk, climb, lift, bend, move quickly, or return to work, especially if you have a physically demanding job.

Tell Your Employer the Injury Happened at Work

The first thing you should do after a work-related ACL injury is report it to your employer. This is called giving notice.

In Washington, D.C., you generally have 30 days to report a work injury, but you should not wait. The sooner you report it, the better. Waiting can delay your medical treatment and give the insurance company more room to question your claim.

You should tell a supervisor, manager, or someone in HR. Telling a co-worker is not enough. You also need to be clear that the injury happened at work. Do not just say your knee hurts. Say what happened and that it happened while you were working.

Waiting to report the injury can also make things worse if you keep working, keep walking on it, and do not get checked by a doctor, not some “Workman’s Clinic” or insurance company hack doctor.

For more information about what can happen when someone waits too long to get help, read Waiting to Get a Workers’ Comp Lawyer Can Cost You.

Get Medical Care for Your ACL Injury

There are many good doctors in the Washington, D.C. area who treat ACL injuries. Under Washington, D.C. workers’ compensation law, you have the right to choose your own doctor.

The workers’ compensation insurance company for your job may tell you that you need to see one of their doctors, go to their clinic, or use their “network of approved physicians” for the knee injury that happened at work.

It’s all BS. A total lie. Don’t believe it.

Yes, they have insurance medical examiner doctors, who the insurance company pays to examine you and say there is nothing wrong with that knee. They have doctors they send an incredible number of patients to, 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 workers’ 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, and we can tell you who the insurance doctors are that you should avoid and give you the names of specialists our clients have chosen and liked in the past.

Be Careful With the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Company

If your ACL injury is serious, do not deal with the workers’ compensation insurance company on your own.

We tell people all the time that if you have a minor injury, just need to get checked out, and do not miss work, you may not need a workers’ compensation lawyer.

But an ACL injury can be career-ending. You need to do everything right from the beginning so the insurance company does not take advantage of you and your family by paying you less than they should, hiding future benefits, or limiting your medical treatment.

The insurance adjuster may seem nice, but the adjuster gets paid to protect the insurance company. That is true whether your D.C. workers’ compensation case is handled by Travelers, Hartford, Sedgwick, or another insurance company.

The same goes for the insurance company nurses, case managers, doctors, lawyers, and investigators you may be up against.

What If You Need ACL Surgery After a Work Injury?

Some ACL injuries may require surgery, depending on what your doctor recommends. Surgery can affect your workers’ compensation case because it may involve time off work, physical therapy, future medical care, work restrictions, and questions about settlement.

Do not rush into a settlement before you understand your medical treatment, your ability to return to work, and whether you may need future care.

When You May Need a Workers’ Compensation Lawyer

You may need a workers’ compensation lawyer if your ACL injury keeps you out of work, requires surgery, limits your job duties, or affects your ability to return to the same kind of work.

You should also get help if the insurance company delays treatment, denies benefits, sends you to the wrong doctor, pressures you about returning to work, or tries to settle before you know how serious the injury really is.

If your claim has already been denied, read What to Do When Your Workers’ Comp Case Is Denied in D.C..

If you tore your ACL at work in Washington, D.C., do not wait to get help. Every day that goes by give the insurance company more time to work against you and your family.

You should have the same level of experience and professionalism on your side as the insurance company has on theirs.

Attorney Frank Kearney and our team help injured workers understand their rights, protect their medical care, and deal with the insurance company after serious work injuries.

Call 202-393-3320 or book your free consultation here: Book Free Consultation.

FAQs About ACL Injuries and D.C. Workers’ Compensation

Can I get workers’ compensation if I tore my ACL at work in D.C.?

Yes, if your ACL injury happened while you were working, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. Those benefits may include medical treatment and wage loss benefits if your doctor says you cannot work.

What should I do first after tearing my ACL at work?

Report the injury to your employer right away and make clear that it happened at work. Then get medical care from a doctor who can evaluate your knee and explain what treatment you may need.

What if the insurance company delays ACL treatment or surgery?

If the insurance company delays treatment, denies care, or refuses to approve surgery your doctor recommends, you may need legal help. Delays can affect your recovery, your income, and your ability to get back to work.

Should I settle my workers’ compensation case before I know if I need surgery?

Be careful. If you settle before you know whether you need surgery, physical therapy, future care, or permanent work restrictions, the settlement may not reflect what your case is really worth.