A lot of companies, especially those in and around Chicago, have a policy that if one of their workers gets injured, they have to go to a company affiliated health clinic for a medical examination.
These places are regular doctor’s offices, but they cater to the employer because it means a big pay day.
As a result, it’s not uncommon for us to be contacted by someone who was sent to one of these clinics in terrible pain following a work related injury, only to be told that there is nothing wrong with them and they can return to work.
I’ve seen this happen to workers with broken arms and torn ACL’s. But the most common injury is someone who has a back or neck injury because the extent of those problems isn’t going to show up on an X-ray or many table exams. Usually you need a MRI.
The bottom line is that you don’t have to accept what these hired guns tell you. What you do need to do is go and see a doctor of your own choosing who will look out for you and give you an honest evaluation as to what is wrong with you.
That doctor, assuming they are credible, will trump anything this clinic doctor thinks. That doesn’t mean you win your case as you still have to prove everything else that is required under the law. But you shouldn’t stress about this awful doctor. You just need to get with somebody honest that the company doesn’t pay for.
We are workers’ compensation attorneys who help people with Illinois work injuries anywhere in IL via our statewide network of attorneys. Contact us and we will answer your questions or find the right lawyer for your situation.
