Tag Archives: Rule 50

Home is where the chart is when it comes to doctor choice in Nebraska workers’ compensation

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Nebraska workers’ compensation law allows injured workers to pick their own doctor to treat their work injury. But what if an injured worker picks their doctor to treat their work injury, but gets treated by another doctor at their doctor’s clinic?

I believe Nebraska law would let an injured worker see another provider who practices with an injured worker’s doctor. But, not surprisingly, some nitpicking types on the employer/insurance side of workers compensation don’t think an injured worker should be able to treat with the partner of an injured worker’s family doctor.

Why you should be able to treat for a work injury with another doctor at the clinic where your doctor practices

Under Nebraska Workers Compensation Court Rule 50(A)(2) an injured worker can chose a family physician to treat for a work injury. Per Nebraska Workers Compensation Court Rule 49(E) a family physician is one who maintains records and has a documented history of treating the injured workers or a family member.

So when it comes to workers’ compensation doctor choice in Nebraska, home is where your medical chart is found. For example, if your provider is Dr. Smith at the Main Street Clinic, Dr. Smith’s partner, Dr. Jones, should be able to treat you for a work injury if Dr. Smith is unavailable. The key fact is that your medical records are that clinic, which would aid any provider in treating you for a work injury.

The importance of doctor choice in workers’ compensation

Most people would probably say its common sense that you should be able to treat with a doctor at the same clinic as your regular doctor if your regular doctor isn’t available. But there is a whole cottage industry of management-friendly medical providers that seek to talk workers out of exercising their rights to pick their own doctor to treat a work injury in Nebraska. I wrote a post a few years back, picking apart some talking points to that effect sent out by an occupational medicine clinic in Omaha.

But management-side talking points about why injured workers shouldn’t pick their own doctors to treat work injuries aren’t solely based on faulty logic and assumptions. Intimidation substitutes for persuasion when it comes to employers and insurers pushing injured employees to employee-friendly doctors and medical providers.

What if your doctor is really a P.A. or nurse practitioner?

Lots of people get their primary medical care from physician assistants or nurse practitioners. If those providers practice under the supervision of a medical doctor, then I think an injured worker should be able to pick those providers. After all, the employee’s medical records are at the office of that provider.

But a P.A. or Nurse practitioner might not be able to testify by report in a Nebraska workers’ compensation case without a supervising doctor signing off on the report. But in serious injuries, primary care providers refer out to specialists who are almost always able to testify by report. And secondly, there is a distinction between who can testify by a report a workers’ compensation case and who can treat a workers’ compensation claimant in Nebraska.

The offices of Rehm, Bennett, Moore & Rehm, which also sponsors the Trucker Lawyers website, are located in Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska. Five attorneys represent plaintiffs in workers’ compensation, personal injury, employment and Social Security disability claims. The firm’s lawyers have combined experience of more than 95 years of practice representing injured workers and truck drivers in Nebraska, Iowa and other states with Nebraska and Iowa jurisdiction. The lawyers regularly represent hurt truck drivers and often sue Crete Carrier Corporation, K&B Trucking, Werner Enterprises, UPS, and FedEx. Lawyers in the firm hold licenses in Nebraska and Iowa and are active in groups such as the College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers, Workers' Injury Law & Advocacy Group (WILG), American Association for Justice (AAJ), the Nebraska Association of Trial Attorneys (NATA), and the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). We have the knowledge, experience and toughness to win rightful compensation for people who have been injured or mistreated.

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Appellate courts uphold red-tape cutting function of Nebraska Workers Compensation Court

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Workers’ compensation doesn’t just mandate that employers provide medical care, disability benefits and retraining benefits for injured workers. Workers’ compensation laws also mandate how employers provide these benefits.

A few recent decisions by Nebraska courts re-affirm the power the Judges of the workers’ compensation court have in dictating the details of workers compensation benefits – at least when it comes to medical care and vocational rehabilitation benefits.

Medical Care – Rogers v. Jack’s Supper Club

In Rogers v. Jack’s Supper Club, the Nebraska Supreme Court affirmed a trial court’s order that an employee injured in Nebraska who first treated in Nebraska who moved to Florida could treat with a doctor in Florida.

Jack’s Supper Club was originally decided by the Nebraska Supreme Court in late 2019. In that version of the case, the court held that it appeared that the employee had not properly changed doctors for the purposes of Nebraska law, but asked the trial court to clarify its order. I wrote last year that the original Jack’s decision was too harsh in my view because Judges can order doctor changes at their discretion under Neb. Rev. Stat. 48-120(6).

My reading of the second case is that the trial court expressly exercised its ability to change doctors and the Nebraska Supreme Court said it was fine.

Vocational Rehabilitation – Font v. JBS

In Font v. JBS, the Nebraska Court of Appeals affirmed a trial court decision that an employer must pay for a vocational rehabilitation program for a shoulder injury involving permanent impairment but not permanent restrictions. In that case, both the court-appointed vocational rehabilitation specialist and the court’s workers compensation section opposed developing a plan involving an injury without formal restrictions.

The court overruled these requests stating that physical restrictions were just one of many factors in determining eligibility for vocational services and that the purpose of VR is prompt rehabilitation. Again the Nebraska Court of Appeals, agreed with the trial court. Specifically, the court agreed with the trial court’s reading of 48-162.01(7) in awarding vocational rehabilitation benefits.

Cutting through red tape

In both Font and Rogers, the practical effect of the decisions was to help workers cut bureaucratic red tape imposed by employers, service providers and a government agency. While some  regulation can be beneficial in a system like workers compensation, a lot of bureaucracy just makes it more difficult and expensive for workers to recover from work injuries.

But the Nebraska Workers Compensation Act gives Judges broad powers to cut through red tape – and at least in Jack’s Supper Club and Font v. JBS appellate courts seem to agree.

The offices of Rehm, Bennett, Moore & Rehm, which also sponsors the Trucker Lawyers website, are located in Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska. Five attorneys represent plaintiffs in workers’ compensation, personal injury, employment and Social Security disability claims. The firm’s lawyers have combined experience of more than 95 years of practice representing injured workers and truck drivers in Nebraska, Iowa and other states with Nebraska and Iowa jurisdiction. The lawyers regularly represent hurt truck drivers and often sue Crete Carrier Corporation, K&B Trucking, Werner Enterprises, UPS, and FedEx. Lawyers in the firm hold licenses in Nebraska and Iowa and are active in groups such as the College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers, Workers' Injury Law & Advocacy Group (WILG), American Association for Justice (AAJ), the Nebraska Association of Trial Attorneys (NATA), and the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). We have the knowledge, experience and toughness to win rightful compensation for people who have been injured or mistreated.

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Workers compensation basics: Nebraska workers can pick their own doctor to treat a work injury

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Injured Nebraska workers have an absolute right to choose their surgeon if surgery is needed. Nebraska workers compensation law provides injured workers to choose their own treating doctors unless Nebraska employers get a written waiver of that right. Many employers try to control doctor choice without following the rules and getting a written waiver. The requires use of an approved Form 50  with this language.

Under the Nebraska workers’ compensation law, you may have the right to choose a doctor to treat you for your work-related injury. You may choose a doctor who has treated you or an immediate family before this injury happened. Immediate family members are your spouse, children, parents, stepchildren and stepparents. The doctor you choose must have records to show that past treatment was provided. Your employer may ask the person who was treated to give permission so that doctor can verify past treatment.

If you want to choose your doctor, you must tell you employer the name of the doctor you choose. Do this as soon as possible after your employer gives you this notice and before getting any treatment unless it is emergency medical treatment. Once you tell your employer the name of the doctor, you may not change unless your employer agrees or the Nebraska Workers’ Compensation Court orders a change. 

If you do not choose your doctor, your employer has the right to choose the doctor to treat you. The employer may also choose the doctor to treat you if you or your family member does not give permission so your employer can verify past treatment by the doctor you chose.

Even if a worker under Nebraska law waives choice of treating doctor they can still choose their surgeon, if one is needed. This right can bot be waived. It is absolute. An insurance company or employer is telling you that you need to see “their doctor” or that you can’t see your doctor to treat for a work injury, you should contact a lawyer.

The offices of Rehm, Bennett, Moore & Rehm, which also sponsors the Trucker Lawyers website, are located in Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska. Five attorneys represent plaintiffs in workers’ compensation, personal injury, employment and Social Security disability claims. The firm’s lawyers have combined experience of more than 95 years of practice representing injured workers and truck drivers in Nebraska, Iowa and other states with Nebraska and Iowa jurisdiction. The lawyers regularly represent hurt truck drivers and often sue Crete Carrier Corporation, K&B Trucking, Werner Enterprises, UPS, and FedEx. Lawyers in the firm hold licenses in Nebraska and Iowa and are active in groups such as the College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers, Workers' Injury Law & Advocacy Group (WILG), American Association for Justice (AAJ), the Nebraska Association of Trial Attorneys (NATA), and the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). We have the knowledge, experience and toughness to win rightful compensation for people who have been injured or mistreated.

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