Is My Torn Rotator Cuff Covered by Workers Compensation?

3 Ways to Avoid Messing Up Your Case After Rotator Cuff Tear

A torn rotator cuff (tears of the tendons in one or more of the major muscles of the shoulder) is painful, often disabling injury. Many times it requires surgery, especially if an MRI confirms a tear and physical therapy or injections haven’t helped. If you are a heavy-duty worker, you might be dealing with a permanent injury that will keep you from going back to work.

How do you protect yourself if this serious injury happens at work?

There are three essential things that you need to do when you’re hurt at work in order to protect your legal case, your income, and your livelihood. First, tell your employer it happened on the job. We call this giving notice, and it should be done as soon as possible after the injury.

Second, be wary of doctors referred by the insurance company. The insurance company will be watching their bottom line, not advocating for your care. If the insurance company referred you to a doctor ask yourself: is he going to order expensive tests, like an MRI, that the insurance company will have to pay for? Is he going to believe you when you say how much it hurts? Is he thorough and does he seem objective? You should not let the insurance companies’ doctors manage your treatment.

Next, get to a specialist. This is not an injury that can be managed or treated by a family physician and maybe not even by a general orthopedic surgeon. Make sure you choose the best doctor to be your long-term provider to deal with this injury. You could be looking at months or even years of rehabilitation and/or rotator cuff repair surgery, so you want to make sure you choose the best physician from the outset. If you don’t, it can be very difficult to get the physician-approved later on.

Finally, file your workers’ compensation claim in the right jurisdiction. If you were injured in Washington DC and you work in Washington DC, you should file your case in DC. Don’t let the insurance adjuster tell you to file in the wrong state. They often tell injured workers they need to file in the state where they live, which is total BS. They know that Virginia and Maryland both pay less for workers comp injuries, and they want to cheapen your claim.

If You Have a Torn Rotator Cuff, There’s A Chance You Won’t Be Able to Go Back To Work Full Duty.

Many people who tear their rotator cuff end up having a permanent impairment. If you have a permanent injury you cannot handle the claim on your own. You may need to learn a new skill set and change positions; which will cost money and time. You’ll need to be covered by a settlement while you are busy making changes in your life; whether that be learning a new trade and skill set, or going back to school.

With A Torn Rotator Cuff, You Will Need Ongoing Legal Help to Protect Yourself and Your Family. You Need An Experienced Accident Lawyer For That.

These are the things you should consider, but remember, there is a lot more to it. Making a mistake can cost you a lot of money in lost wages and a lot of time and treatment when it comes to your injury. In most cases, you should not go it alone. You may need an advocate to fight for your rights.

Before you make any serious and difficult decisions, read the free book offered by our offices and written just for workers hurt on the job in the D.C. area: Protect Your Rights: The Ultimate Guide to D.C. Workers Compensation. It’s free to injured workers and their families in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. So order your free copy today – call us at 202-393-3320. And if you need help now, contact our experienced staff at 202-393-3320 and we will help you take the next right steps today.

Experienced Lawyers Can Win A Settlement After A Serious Injury Like A Torn Rotator Cuff

We hear this all the time from people who have been seriously injured at work. They have a torn rotator cuff or a slipped disc and they have been referred to surgery by their treating physician for a shoulder replacement or a spinal fusion. To anyone, especially someone who has been working heavy-duty for most of their life, the prospects are terrifying. In the best-case scenario, he can still play with his grandchildren. Worst case scenario, the surgery doesn’t take and he is both in pain and debilitated for the long term.

Neither prospect sounds like something he wants. And he’s not entirely sure of what he needs. And to be completely transparent, we’ve seen the worst happen. Every surgery is a risk, and not every surgery takes. We recently had a seriously injured worker have shoulder surgery and with rehab, he was back to work inside of six months. In other cases, we have seen spinal fusions or shoulder replacements end up needing a second surgery or dealing with chronic pain.

So How’s A DC Workers Comp Lawyer Going To Help You With That?

The reality is that it is very little we can do about your actual medical treatment prognosis. But we are very passionate about going to bat for you and make sure you recommended it. Treatment is authorized and your benefits checks keep coming. We just won a financial award for a seriously injured worker with a back injury whose benefits had been denied by the insurance company.

Your life can change considerably after a serious injury, which is why you need an attorney to make sure you and your family are taken care of no matter what. Even if you are a Union Member you may need to consider hiring your own attorney – your attorney should hit all of the indicators on the checklist. We hear all the time from people who feel like they are just being run through the mill when they use their union’s attorneys. But you’ll never be just another number with us.

Have You Been Seriously Injured At Work And You Are Worried You Might Have A Permanent Injury? Call Us Today!

Are you afraid to have surgery? Do you need surgery and it’s not being authorized? Give us a call today at (202) 393-3320. We have helped many clients turn their lemons into lemonade – a permanent injury may be daunting but it doesn’t have to ruin your life.