Workers' Compensation
- Overview
- What to Report
- When to Report
- How to Report
- Medical Treatment
- Temporary Disability
- Report Fraud
Medical Treatment
An injured employee is entitled to all medical treatment reasonably required to cure or relieve the effects of the injury. This includes all reasonable transportation expense. Liability for medical benefits cannot be apportioned to non-industrial events and therefore the employer is responsible for all reasonable and necessary medical costs of treating the employee.
Treatment during the first thirty days after the date of injury is controlled by the employer if the employer has notified the employee by posting in a conspicuous place at the employee's place of employment, the name and address of the medical clinic or hospital where the employee is to go for treatment when an employee has been injured. As long as the above requirement is met and the employer is offering medical treatment to the employee, the employee must go to the employer's doctor unless the employee has provided written notice prior to the date of injury of their desire to be treated by their personal physician or if the case is an emergency.
It should also be understood that the employee has the right to one change of physician under Labor Code 4601.
WCA has printed the "Employee Selection of Personal Physician" form that may be used when an employee wishes to designate a personal physician to treat with in the event of a work related injury. It is recommended that the form be used, but not specifically required by law.
