If you suffered a work injury and were hurt on the job you are entitled to workers' compensation benefits. Generally, workers compensation pays a portion of your lost wages due to your work injury and medical expenses for reasonable and necessary treatment for your work injury. But sometimes your benefits may be at risk in situations where you feel you are being forced back to work.
What happens on many occasions when you are hurt on the job a doctor (not necessarily your own) says you can do some type of work. In other words your doctor or an IME doctor or panel doctor (Concentra, Workwell, Occupational Medicine, HAPPI) says you can do modified duty or some form of light duty. The question often becomes two fold: can you return to modified work and does your employer have modified work available for you.
Generally speaking if your employer is willing to accommodate your restrictions from your work injury when you were hurt on the job we'd recommend you attempt the job. However, if your doctor says you can't do the alleged work that is being offered to you and their doctor says you can then you have to decide what to do. Generally, we don't recommend you go against your doctors advice but keep in mind that failing to go back and attempt the modified work alleged available can run you the risk of losing your workers' compensation benefits and possibly of losing your job. You need a lawyer. You need to us.
Ultimately if you are hurt on the job and your doctors restrictions are different than the workers' compensation doctors restrictions I would recommend you contact the experienced workers compensation attorneys at Dugan & Associates at 888-99-DUGAN.
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