Upon your written request, the Workers’ Compensation carrier must give you the opportunity for one change of physician during the course of treatment for your work-related accident. The Workers’ Compensation carrier will pay for the new physician.

Once the change in physician is granted and the employer or carrier notifies the original doctor of the change, the original physician loses authority. The worker’s compensation carrier must then authorize an alternative physician not professionally affiliated with the earlier physician within 5 calendar days after receiving the worker’s request. You can select the physician if the carrier doesn’t provide the name of the new physician.

Attorneys typically will not recommend that a hurt worker change doctors during the early, occupational clinic stage. If you choose to change doctors at that time, you cannot again change doctors at the more important specialist stage of your case and treatment. The second physician after your one-time change stays the doctor on the case, unless the claimant moves or the initial treating physician no longer takes workers’ compensation cases or withdraws from the case for another reason.

Please see Florida Statutes, Section 440.13(2)(f) for more information regarding your right to a one-time change in physicians. If you have any further questions about such rights, and whether you should seek a one-time change in physician, the worker’s compensation attorneys at LeavenLaw are happy to assist you.