Injury Evaluation
How Treatment Gets Authorized Under the LHWCA
The basic rule
The first visit sets the direction for everything that follows. Your treatment, your work status, and the medical record your claim rests on. We take the time to get it right the first time.
What Happens at the First Visit
• How it happened. We take a detailed history of the mechanism of injury: what you were doing, what equipment was involved, what moved wrong, whether it came on at once or built up over shifts.
• Physical examination. Range of motion, strength, neurological screening, orthopedic testing, and anything else the complaint calls for.
• Imaging if indicated. X-ray the same day where appropriate, or a request for advanced imaging. See Diagnostic Imaging.
• Diagnosis and causation. We state the diagnosis and give a clear opinion on whether the work event caused or contributed to it, and why.
• Work status. You leave with a written status: off work, modified duty with specific restrictions, or full duty. See Work Restrictions and Return-to-Work Documentation.
• Treatment plan. What we’re going to do, how often, and what we’re watching for.
What to Bring
• Photo ID
• Employer name and the name of your supervisor or superintendent
• Date, time, and location of the injury, and who you reported it to
• Insurance carrier or third-party administrator name, adjuster name, and claim number if you have one
• Your attorney’s name, if you have one
• A list of current medications
• Anything you’ve already been given in writing about the injury
If you don’t have all of it, come in anyway. We can work with what you have and fill in the rest.
Why the Documentation Matters
Longshore claims are decided on the written record. An adjuster, a district director, or an administrative law judge reads reports. They don’t watch you work. A note that says “shoulder pain, rest, recheck in two weeks” leaves every important question open. A report that states the mechanism of injury, the objective findings, the diagnosis, the causal relationship, and the specific physical restrictions answers them.
That’s the standard we write to from the first visit.
Common Questions
Do I need permission from the insurance company before I’m seen?
Authorization for treatment is handled on Form LS-1. We can start that process with you at the first visit. See Federal Claim Paperwork.
My employer already sent me to their clinic. Can I still come here?
The Act gives the injured worker the right to choose their treating physician. If you’ve already been treated somewhere and want to change doctors, there are specific approval rules that apply. That’s a question worth putting to your attorney or the district office before you switch, and we can talk through the medical side with you.
What if my injury built up over time instead of happening in one moment?
Cumulative trauma and repetitive-use injuries are evaluated the same way. We document exposure over time the tasks, the frequency, the years instead of a single event.
What we do
We write authorization requests that state what's being asked for, why it's medically necessary, and how it relates to the injury. Because vague requests are the ones that get denied. We respond to carrier and case manager questions within one business day. And we document treatment necessity as we go, so that if there is a dispute, the record already answers it.
Right-to-Choose
Under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act, the injured worker chooses their own treating doctor. There is no network to stay inside of.
Have questions about your claim or need a medical evaluation?