If you suffered an injury in a slip and fall, automobile accident or other incident in Phoenix, your doctor might prescribe you time off work to heal and rest. This time off might be something you look forward to at first, both mentally and physically. But as time has gone on, you might begin to feel antsy to return to your job.
In any personal injury case, the goal is to return you to normal as quickly as possible. Returning to your job before you doctor clears you, however, can harm your personal injury lawsuit.
Here’s why:
YOU COULD HURT YOURSELF AGAIN
A doctor has written you out of work because she or he feels your body needs to heal. Once you are in a healthy enough state to return to work, your doctor will release you. If you return too early in Phoenix, though, you run the risk of extending your healing period or getting re-injured. You could also hurt others in the workplace if you return to work before you are able or before a doctor clears you to do so.
IT IS NOT A REQUIREMENT
Quite simply, you don’t have to return to work in Phoenix until a doctor clears you to return. The laws in Arizona are written to protect you while you are going through a personal injury case, so you do not need to be worried about being replaced at your job.
After you have been away from work for a while, it is possible that your employer might begin go beyond inquiring about when you will return and begin to pressure you to return. However, remember that only your doctor has a say in when you are safe to return. If you feel your employer is doing something inappropriate in regard to your return, notify your attorney.
YOU COULD DAMAGE YOUR PERSONAL INJURY CASE
While your health is certainly more important than money, you want to always keep in mind your personal injury lawsuit when you’re considering returning to work. That means if you hope to get money in the suit to pay for the financial damages you have incurred – including medical bills, lost wages and future care – you need to follow the doctor’s recommendations to the letter.
If you go back to work before your doctor clears you, you run the risk of having the defendants’ insurance company claiming you weren’t seriously injured in the first place, or that you are still injured because you didn’t follow your doctor’s recommendations.
CONSULT A KNOWLEDGEABLE PERSONAL INJURY LAWYER IN PHOENIX
An experienced attorney can make all the difference in a personal injury lawsuit. Get a free consultation by contacting the attorneys at Miller Kory Rowe LLP at (602) 648-4045.