In Georgia, the workers’ compensation insurance company has a responsibility to pay for the cost of your transportation for medical treatment after an injury at work. This responsibility can include reimbursing you for mileage costs if you are able to drive yourself. It can also include paying for a transportation company to drive you to get medical treatment if you are unable to drive yourself for some reason.
Medical Transportation When You Cannot Drive Safely
One of the reasons you may not be able to drive yourself to medical treatment is that you are having treatment or testing that makes it unsafe for you to drive home. Certain types of injections or other procedures impair your ability to drive afterward.
If you are having one of these procedures, the doctor’s office will generally tell you that you need someone to drive you home after the appointment. In this situation, the insurance company could be responsible for paying a transportation service to drive you to and from the medical appointment.
Sometimes, your injury itself can prevent you from driving or make it unsafe for you to drive. This could include injuries to your legs, arms, back, neck, eyes, or ears.
If you feel that you are unable to drive safely, you should probably ask your authorized treating physician to write a note indicating that you cannot drive. That note will usually make the insurance company responsible for providing you with transportation for medical treatment.
If you are unable to drive, the insurance company can sometimes have to provide you with transportation to other places as well. This usually only happens in catastrophic claims where an injury keeps an injured worker from going to the grocery store or other places they need to go.
Medical Transportation When Your Vehicle Is Not Reliable
You may need the insurance company to provide transportation because you do not have a way to get to the doctor on your own. The insurance company might have to pay for transportation to the doctor for you if you:
- Do not have a working vehicle; or
- Do not have a vehicle that is reliable enough to drive the distance you must drive to the doctor
The law is not absolutely clear on these particular situations. The exact facts in your case could affect whether the insurance company has to pay or not.
Questions About Medical Transportation and Mileage Reimbursement
I have found that Georgia’s workers’ compensation law can be confusing. Because of that, many people have questions. If you have some questions, I would be happy to discuss your case with you.
