My employer’s physician says that I can return to work. However, my doctor disagrees. What should I do?

If the doctor chosen by your employer says you can return to work, you are entitled to request a second opinion. If a second physician disagrees with the first, you can file an appeal with the workers’ compensation board. The board may direct the insurance carrier to pay the expenses of the extra medical treatment recommended by the second doctor.

The objective of workers’ compensation is to help a worker recover from an injury and go back to work. However, a workers’ compensation insurer has a financial interest in your return to work because this means that your benefit payments will end.