Female healthcare worker in blue scrubs with head covering, touching her temple and looking down in apparent fatigue or stress.

Workers’ Compensation for Nurses After a Patient Assault

Publicado en Indemnización por accidente laboral.

If a patient assaults you while you are working as a nurse in Washington, D.C., you may have a workers’ compensation claim that covers medical treatment and lost wages.

After something like this, you are not focused on paperwork and strict deadlines. You are trying to deal with your injuries, missed work, your bills, and what your future will look like. That’s where we come in. We help take over the workers’ compensation issues, move your case forward, and protect your rights.

What To Do Right After A Patient Assault At Work

Report the assault as soon as you can. Make sure your employer knows you were injured by a patient while you were working.
Get medical care right away. In D.C., you can go to whatever doctor you want. You do not have to go where the insurance company tells you to go.
Make sure your injuries are documented by your doctor. That can make a big difference in your workers’ compensation case.
Contact Attorney Frank Kearney. We take over the workers’ compensation issues, deal with the insurance company, and help you move your case forward while you focus on healing.

Why These Cases Can Be Harder Than They Should Be

Even when you know you were hurt at work, that does not mean the workers’ compensation process will be easy. Treatment can get delayed. Checks can stop or take too long. You may also feel pressure to keep going and get back before you are ready.

That happens to a lot of nurses and healthcare workers. You are used to showing up for other people, even on hard days. But if you were hurt in a patient assault and cannot safely do your normal job, that needs to be taken seriously.

When You Can Go Back To Work Depends On The Injury

There is no one answer for when you can go back to work after a patient assault. It depends on how serious your injuries are, what your doctor says, and whether you can safely do your job.

We often see injuries like herniated discs, shoulder injuries, and head injuries that can make lifting, moving patients, or doing fast physical work unsafe. In cases like this, you may need to see a specialist, attend physical therapy, and in some severe cases, have surgery.

Staff shortages can also make these cases harder. When a unit is already short staffed, there may be more pressure to keep working, come back too soon, or take on duties your body is not ready for.

If your doctor says you are not ready, you should not be pushed back too soon. Going back to work before you are ready can make the injury even worse.

How Donahoe Kearney Can Help You

We help when workers’ compensation starts causing more stress. If your treatment is delayed, your checks are not coming, or you are being pushed back to work too soon, we step in and deal with it.

You should not have to spend your time chasing adjusters or trying to get straight answers. We take over the workers’ compensation issues so you can focus on getting better.

If you were assaulted by a patient while working as a nurse, do not wait to get help.

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