Workers’ compensation in South Carolina provides no-fault benefits to workers injured on the job.
Although this is an important benefit for those who are hurt at work, many insurers analyze claims under a magnifying glass.
They look for any reason to deny a claim, which will help reduce the amount of money they pay out and inflate their profits along the way.
Comorbid conditions can complicate a workers’ compensation case. If you have diabetes or another medical condition, then recovering from a workplace accident could be a lengthy process.
Unfortunately, the insurance company might pressure you to return to work before you are healed.
Contact our experienced Spartanburg workers’ compensation lawyers at McCravy, Newlon, Sturkie & Clardy for assistance when making a claim. We have won many appeals for clients who were initially denied, and we can fight to ensure you receive all the benefits you are entitled to.
What Are Comorbid Conditions?
When a worker is injured, their on-the-job injury is the primary medical condition and the focus of the claims process. But a worker might have other medical conditions that interact with the primary injury. These other conditions are “comorbidities.”
Examples include:
- Obesity;
- Diabetes;
- Hypertension (high blood pressure);
- Cardiovascular disease;
- Prior concussions or traumatic brain injuries;
- Osteoporosis;
- Depression;
- Anxiety.
These comorbidities can complicate treatment, as well as the analysis of whether you should receive benefits and for how long.
Comorbidities Example
Alan works on the shop floor. One afternoon, he slips on some spilled oil and falls on his arm, fracturing it. Alan heads to the doctor for an X-ray and a cast, which keeps him out of work for several months.
Unfortunately, Alan also has high blood pressure, which he has struggled to control for years. As a result, his arteries have hardened, which delays the ability of oxygen to reach his broken bone, slowing down the healing process.
Alan’s doctor thinks his arm should heal after four months. But the problems with hypertension lengthen the healing process. Alan’s arm might still feel pain, but his workers’ compensation doctor is pressuring him to take the cast off and get back to work.
How Comorbidities Impact a Workers’ Compensation Claim
A workers’ compensation claim is hard for many workers to bring. But those who have comorbid conditions often face an uphill climb to receiving the benefits they deserve. We often see the following:
More Predisposed to Injury
Comorbidities often make a worker more vulnerable to an injury. For example, someone with osteoporosis could more easily fracture a bone when struck compared to someone without the condition. Similarly, diabetes can increase the risk that a person falls.
Doctors might assume you are exaggerating your injury because someone without a comorbid condition would not be as seriously injured.
Longer Recovery
Comorbidities can slow down the healing process. Either the comorbid condition can delay healing, or medication for the comorbid condition can interfere with healing the job-related injury. The result is the same: an injured worker who is not healing as quickly as doctors expect.
One study found that someone with diabetes needed an additional 20 days for a forearm fracture to heal. With workers’ compensation, there is often pressure to get a worker back on at least light duty as soon as possible. Doing so can reduce the amount of compensation a worker receives and reduce their medical care.
However, your other medical conditions can keep you out of work longer. It is important to make sure your medical team does not overlook comorbid conditions when they push you back to work.
There are reasonable reasons why it is taking you longer to heal.
Limited Treatment Options
Comorbidities can also limit the treatment options for patients. Although an injured worker needs to do everything possible to heal, it’s unfortunately a fact that some treatments can make a comorbid condition worse.
For example, medication for hypertension can interact with certain non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which might be recommended to deal with a workplace injury. Because NSAIDs might weaken the effectiveness of the blood pressure medication and cause renal disease in many patients, a doctor will not recommend them.
Someone with comorbidities might have limited treatment options following an on-the-job injury.
The result is delayed recovery.
How Workers Should Protect Themselves
Anyone relying on workers’ compensation benefits will face pressure to return to work as soon as possible. In South Carolina, your employer can require you to receive treatment from a doctor of their choosing. Unsurprisingly, this doctor often has the employer’s best interests at heart, not yours.
We sometimes see disagreements between a worker’s primary care physician, who is treating a comorbid condition, and the employer’s choice of doctor, whose main goal is to pressure a worker to get back on the job.
For example, return to the example of Alan above. His primary care physician is treating him for hypertension. But a different doctor is treating the fracture. This other doctor, selected by his employer, might not care at all if Alan’s hypertension is improving. Instead, this doctor is focused solely on getting Alan back to work.
Call our office. We can guide you through these disagreements and protect your well-being.
Although workers should do everything possible to heal, they don’t have to neglect other medical issues. You might be receiving treatment for diabetes, osteoporosis, hypertension, or depression.
These conditions do not take a backseat simply because you are also drawing workers’ compensation benefits.
Speak with a Seasoned Workers’ Compensation Lawyer Today
The workers’ compensation system was designed to make obtaining medical care and other benefits easy. Unfortunately, the opposite is true. Many workers are struggling to get the care they need. Instead, they face relentless pressure to get back on the job and start working.
Contact an experienced lawyer at McCravy, Newlon, Sturkie & Clardy. We have decades of combined experience with workers’ compensation claims. We understand the many health problems workers are managing, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes. And we know that you should receive workers’ compensation for as long as necessary, without undue pressure to return to duty. Call us to schedule a free, no-obligation case evaluation.