Hurt at work in Connecticut? Before you choose a workers compensation doctor, it helps to know how the state’s system works: when to report the injury, which form to file and whether your employer’s medical care plan limits your options. Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation of NY & CT (PMR) treats work injuries at our Connecticut office in Danbury, CT, with chiropractic care, physical therapy and physiatry in one practice.
This page covers Connecticut workers’ comp for injured workers. Our workers’ comp injury care overview compares Connecticut with New York.
Report your injury and file Form 30C
Connecticut’s workers’ compensation law gives you two early tasks:
- Report the injury right away. Your employer should hear about it immediately, because a delay that hurts your employer can reduce your award.
- File Form 30C on time. Form 30C is the Notice of Claim. It’s due within 1 year of the injury, or within 3 years of the first symptom of an occupational disease.
Form 30C goes to your employer and the Workers’ Compensation Commission. You can also file it online through the Commission.
Choosing a workers compensation doctor in Connecticut
Under the same law (CGS chapter 568), your choice of provider depends on whether your employer has a medical care plan.
If your employer has a medical care plan
Employers may use a medical care plan approved by the chairperson of the Workers’ Compensation Commission. If yours does, you must get care from the plan’s providers. Going outside the plan can lead to a suspension of your benefits (WCC information packet).
If you don’t know whether your employer has a plan, ask your supervisor or HR department.
If your employer doesn’t have a plan
Your employer directs your initial care. After that, you can choose a physician from the Commission’s approved list.
Chiropractors count as physicians
Connecticut’s comp statute counts chiropractors as physicians, so chiropractic care is covered (CGS chapter 568). That means a chiropractor can be your workers compensation doctor, within the plan and approved-list rules above. If you’re looking for a workers comp chiropractor in CT, PMR’s chiropractors in Danbury, CT treat back, neck and joint injuries from work.
Workers comp physical therapy and chiropractic care in CT
Care at PMR starts with an evaluation. Your clinician reviews your job duties, examines the injured area and sets goals tied to real tasks, such as lifting a box from the floor or reaching a high shelf.
Treatment may include physical therapy with therapeutic exercise, chiropractic adjustments, massage therapy and training in our on-site gym. Your clinician rechecks your progress and adjusts the plan as things change. Recovery varies from person to person, so there’s no standard timeline.
Learn more about physical therapy in Danbury, CT.
Steps after a work injury in Connecticut
- Get emergency care first if you need it.
- Report the injury to your employer right away, even if it seems minor.
- Ask whether your employer has a medical care plan, and if it does, which providers it includes.
- File Form 30C before the deadline above. Send it to your employer and the Commission, or file online.
- Keep copies of your Form 30C and any letters from your employer or its insurer.
- Schedule your evaluation with a workers compensation doctor you’re allowed to use under your employer’s plan or the approved list.
What to bring for a Connecticut claim
- A copy of your Form 30C, if you’ve filed it
- Your employer’s medical care plan information, if it has a plan
- The insurer’s name, your claim number and your adjuster’s contact details
- Your employer’s address and an HR or supervisor contact
- Records from the provider who handled your initial care
- Photo ID
When to get urgent care
Don’t wait for an appointment if you notice any of these. Call 911 or go to the emergency room:
- Back pain with a high fever, or numbness in the groin or inner thighs
- New trouble controlling your bladder or bowels
- Sudden weakness in an arm or leg, chest pain, or signs of a stroke
- A severe injury, such as a crush injury or a bone you think is broken
Once you’re safe, let your employer know about the injury right away, as Connecticut law requires.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need preapproval for physical therapy or chiropractic care?
Physical therapy and chiropractic care that follow the Workers’ Compensation Commission’s protocols need no preapproval (WCC payor and provider guidelines). Your provider still has to be one you’re allowed to use under your employer’s medical care plan or the approved list. Your first appointment includes a review of your benefits and eligibility.
Can I change my workers compensation doctor?
If your employer has no medical care plan, it directs your initial care, and you can then choose a physician from the approved list. After that, changing physicians needs a referral, the insurer’s approval or a judge’s approval (WCC information packet). If you’d like to move your care to PMR in Danbury, CT, bring any referral or approval to your first visit.
What if my injury came from a car crash?
Workers’ comp covers injuries that happen on the job. If you were hurt in a crash outside of work, Connecticut’s car accident rules apply instead. Our Connecticut car accident care page explains how care is usually paid for after a crash in Connecticut. PMR also treats crash injuries at both Connecticut offices.
Book a visit in Danbury, CT
To book, call either Connecticut office below or request an appointment online. Tell us your visit is for a work injury, and have your Form 30C and any plan details ready.
- PMR of Danbury, CT, 1 Padanaram Road, Danbury, CT 06811. Call (203) 744-8013.
If you handle HR or claims for an employer, see work injury rehabilitation for employers and adjusters.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Coverage depends on your policy and claim; our billing team can help you check yours.