FAQ Category: Workers Compensation

Hurt on a Construction Site in DC?

A serious fall or accident on a construction site can change your life fast. These injuries can affect your ability to work, your income, and your long term health. Getting hurt at work also puts you into the workers’ compensation...

What Is Maximum Medical Improvement in Workers’ Compensation?

Maximum Medical Improvement, or MMI, means your condition has stabilized and further treatment is unlikely to change it much. It does not mean you are healed, pain free, or back to normal. It also does not mean your workers’...

Can I use my regular doctor for a workers’ comp injury in DC?

You can see your regular doctor at first, but your primary care doctor usually should not be your main treating physician in a DC workers’ compensation case. If you are hurt at work in Washington, D.C., you have the right to...

What Is a Notice of Controversion?

A Notice of Controversion is the insurance company’s formal notice that they are refusing to accept your DC workers compensation claim. Instead of paying benefits voluntarily, the insurer uses this form to say they disagree...

Do I Have to Go to Concentra After a Work Injury in DC?

Can My Employer Force Me to Go to Concentra After a Work Injury in DC? No, you do not have to go to Concentra if you’re hurt at work in Washington, DC. You have an absolute right to choose your own physician. Your...

Can You Collect Workers’ Comp and Work on the Side?

What Happens if an Injured Worker Is Dishonest with the Insurance Company In Washington, DC, you cannot collect workers’ compensation benefits and continue working unless you are on light duty and earning less than your...

Can I Get Another Job While On Workers’ Comp?

Working While Receiving Workers’ Compensation Benefits The good news is you can switch jobs while on workers’ compensation. Before you start a new job, talk to your doctor about your injuries and current abilities...

Can Nats Players Get Workers’ Comp?

Yes, players for the Nationals, like professional athletes playing for other Washington, D.C. teams, are eligible for workers’ compensation benefits if they get hurt. A lot of people don’t agree with that. They...

What Is A Third-Party Lawsuit?

What Is a Third-Party Lawsuit and Can You File One? A third-party lawsuit is a claim against someone other than your employer whose negligence caused your workplace accident. If you or a loved one were seriously hurt at...

Is a recorded statement required for D.C. Workers’ Compensation benefits?

You do not have to give a recorded statement to get workers’ compensation benefits in Washington, D.C. Unfortunately, we hear this a lot from people who have been legitimately hurt on the job in D.C. and should be receiving...

Will a Lawyer Sue My Employer if I’m Injured at Work?

An experienced attorney at Donahoe Kearney will file your workers’ comp claim for benefits, not sue your employer. If you’ve been injured at work in Washington, D.C., the prospect of losing your job or having...

Can I Switch Jobs While On Workers’ Comp?

Yes, you can switch jobs while on workers’ comp, but there are important considerations to keep in mind, especially if you’ve experienced a significant work injury in Washington, D.C. As an at-will employee, your employer...

Do I Have to Talk to My Workers’ Comp Nurse Case Manager?

After a work injury in Washington, D.C., you are not required to speak to the nurse case manager assigned to your claim by the insurance company. Don’t let the insurance company bully you into speaking to a nurse case...

Are Work Events Covered By Workers’ Compensation?

Filing for Workers Comp After an Injury at a Work Event Many employers require workers to participate in volunteer activities related to their job. This can range from significant commitments like overtime to less demanding...

woman putting her hands on her face while sitting down

Can I Get Fired While on Workers’ Compensation?

Yes, you can get fired while on workers’ compensation. In D.C., Virginia, and Maryland, employers cannot fire you for filing a workers’ comp claim. That’s called retaliation, and it’s illegal. But your employer...

Can You Get A New Job While Receiving Workers Comp Benefits?

Working While Receiving Workers Compensation Benefits It’s not uncommon for injured workers to consider changing occupations or career paths after a serious work accident. Maybe you want to find a job in a lower-risk...

Do I Have to Sue My Employer to Get Workers’ Comp in DC?

Hurt at Work in DC? You’re Not Trying to Sue—You Just Want What’s Fair If you were injured on the job in Washington, DC and you’re not looking to sue your employer—just get the compensation you deserve—you’re not alone. This...

Do I Have To Use The Lawyer My DC Union Uses?

You’re not required to use your union’s lawyer for your workers’ comp case. A lot of union members don’t realize that. And when you’re dealing with a serious injury, it matters who’s in your corner. We’ve helped workers in...

What’s an Injury Work Clinic and Should I Go?

These Workers Comp Clinics are a Sham. You Can Get a Real Doctor for Your Work Injury. You get hurt on the job and you report it to your supervisor. You are then told that there’s a company doctor (or a workers’ comp...

workers compensation check arriving late

Why Is My Workers’ Compensation Check Always Late?

There are many reasons insurance adjusters don’t send out workers’ compensation checks on time. Sometimes the adjuster forgets. Sometimes the supervisor has to authorize it. The computer system can make an error,...

Why Do I Need A Disability Note After A Work Injury?

Short Answer: It’s Your Ticket To Benefits We hear all the time from injured workers in DC who don’t understand the differences between simply getting medical treatment for an injury and getting medical treatment for a workers’...

two men using handicap-able bicycles after work injuries.

Is Short Term Disability Right for You or is Workers Comp?

Sometimes the world of employment law and the world of workers’ compensation law get confused, and it doesn’t help that employers (meaning, your human resources department) like to tell you that rather than filing...

What Happens After A Functional Capacity Exam In DC?

What Is A Functional Capacity Exam And What Do I Need To Know About It In DC? After an on-the-job injury in D.C., many times the workers’ compensation insurance adjuster or nurse case manager will schedule the injured...

torn rotator cuff workers compensation lawyer

Protect Your Workers’ Comp Claim After a Rotator Cuff Injury

How to Protect Your Workers’ Compensation Claim After a Torn Rotator Cuff Injury A torn rotator cuff is a serious and often disabling injury, especially for heavy-duty workers. This injury involves tears in the shoulder...

Is My Medical Release Form Needed By My Insurance Adjuster?

Should You Sign a Medical Records Release After a Work Injury in DC?

Should You Sign a Medical Records Release After a Work Injury in DC? Short answer: No.If an insurance adjuster asks you to sign a medical records release after a work injury, don’t do it—not before talking to a DC workers’...

What If My Company Doesn’t Have Light-Duty Work For Me?

Before going back to work, the doctor can put you on light duty. Basically, he gives you restrictions that say you can do some activities, but not everything your job requires. Usually, your doctor will say you can’t...

woman sitting at a desk writing in journal

How Much Will Workers’ Comp Pay In Washington D.C.?

The Worker’s Compensation Systems Vary From State to State First of all, it’s important to remember that the benefits in DC Virginia, and Maryland are quite different. So are the worker’s comp systems. Each state...

What Is A Workers’ Compensation Informal Conference For?

An Informal Conference is a Non-Binding Mediation For Contested Worker’s Compensation Claims In D.C. workers’ compensation cases, one of the ways to get an issue decided is through an informal conference. Just...

How Do You Know Your Workers’ Comp Rate Is Correct?

Workers’ Comp Benefits In DC Are Based On All Of Your Income The workers’ comp insurance companies are supposed to take all of your income from the 26 weeks before your work related injury or injury or illness. The average...