If you were injured on the job, you have the right to receive worker’s compensation benefits from your employer. One of the benefits is that your employer must pay for all reasonable medical and hospital services you need to recover from your injuries. In Nebraska, you have the right to choose which doctor you want to get treatment from, and your employer must respect your decision.
Your preference matters
In Nebraska, your employer must notify you of your right to choose a doctor in the event of an accident at work. If you don’t select one, your employer will make that decision on your behalf. You must be careful about who you choose as your doctor, as you may only change it if the court orders it or if you and your employer agree on the change, which is not always the case. However, this principle will not apply if your employer forgot to tell you about your right to choose a doctor. In that case, you could change your physician even if your employer had already assigned one to you.
Important considerations
You have the right to choose from which doctor you’ll receive treatment as long as they agree to the rules of your employer’s managed care plan, if any is available. However, your employer may ask you to see another doctor of their choice for an additional examination. If this happens, you must not refuse the examination because your employer may not compensate you for the time that you refuse to go to the doctor of their choice.
If your injury is an emergency, you can go to any doctor available at the moment. The rules of changing doctors only apply when you are receiving treatment and after the emergency is over. After all, if it is an emergency, you won’t have time to waste.
Protecting your rights
Your employer cannot force you to change doctors unless you agree or the court asks for it. If you believe that you made a mistake in your selection or do not like the doctor that your employer chose for you, you can change them by asking for an Informal Dispute Resolution (IDR) from the court.
Sometimes, employers do not agree on the change, in which case you would need to file a lawsuit with the court. If you decide to sue, it would be in your best interests to seek legal representation. You deserve the appropriate treatment for your injuries, and you have the right to fight back if your employer is not giving that to you.