You should not attempt to return to work unless your injury was very minor and you are positive that you have fully recovered from your injury. Many workers insist that they want to return to work immediately after their injury because they need to receive full wages. This is “penny wise but pound foolish” as they say. Some of these workers will receive treatment from company-chosen doctors who immediately release them to attempt to return to work following their injury. Very often this can be a critical mistake in your maritime injury case. If your injury becomes aggravated or worsened after you attempt to return to work, very often the company will then claim that you are responsible for making your injury worse. Even though the doctor may have returned you to work, the focus of your claim will then become if you made your injury worse after you returned to work. You will be faced with a situation of having to prove that you did not seriously aggravate or worsen your condition when you attempted to return to work. Additionally, many companies will claim after you return to work, you were perfectly fine while at work. In other words your company may be watching you after you return to work and even if you later claim that your condition continued to bother you, your company may claim that you were perfectly fine after you returned to work. Finally, once you return to work your company will very often refuse to provide you with any further medical treatment. Your company will argue that since you were able to return to work you no longer need medical treatment. Overall, returning to work too quickly before you have fully recovered from any possible maritime or Jones Act injury can ruin your maritime injury claim.

Frequently Asked Questions

 


Q: Should I return to work as soon as possible following my maritime or Jones Act injury?

A: You should not attempt to return to work unless your injury was very minor and you are positive that you have fully recovered from your injury. Many workers insist that they want to return to work immediately after their injury because they need to receive full wages. This is “penny wise but pound foolish” as they say. Some of these workers will receive treatment from company-chosen doctors who immediately release them to "attempt" to return to work following their injury. Very often this can be a critical mistake in your maritime injury case. If your injury becomes aggravated or worsened after you attempt to return to work, very often the company will then claim that you are responsible for making your injury worse. Even though the doctor may have returned you to work, the focus of your claim will then become if you made your injury worse after you returned to work. You will be faced with a situation of having to prove that you did not seriously aggravate or worsen your condition when you attempted to return to work.

Additionally, many companies will claim after you return to work, "you were perfectly fine while at work". In other words your company may be watching you after you return to work and even if you later claim that your condition continued to bother you, your company may claim that you were perfectly fine after you returned to work. Finally, once you return to work your company will very often refuse to provide you with any further medical treatment. Your company will argue that since you were able to return to work you no longer need medical treatment.

Overall, returning to work too quickly before you have fully recovered from any possible maritime or Jones Act injury can ruin your maritime injury claim.



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Employee's Guide to Maritime Injury Law is intended to help maritime workers who have been injured offshore. 

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