Marek lives in Wallington and has worked construction in Manhattan for years. After he got hurt on the job, every appointment meant more than an hour of travel each way. Then he learned he could choose his own doctor and started treatment in Garfield, 10 minutes from home.
Sharp pain while lifting cement bags
Marek lives in Wallington. For years he has commuted to a construction job in Manhattan. One day he was lifting heavy bags of cement when a sharp pain hit his back. It didn’t stay there. The pain ran down all the way into his left leg.
This can happen to anyone who lives in New Jersey and works in New York. The accident happens on one side, while home and family are on the other.
More than an hour each way
At first, Marek was treated in New York. Just getting to an appointment took him over an hour, one way. He rode the bus, and sitting that long hurt a lot. Some days he skipped his appointment because he simply had no strength left for another trip.
One conversation with a coworker
Things changed thanks to a coworker, who told Marek that he could choose his own doctor. So Marek moved his care to the Garfield office of Dr. Dariusz Nasiek’s practice, Allied Neurology & Interventional Pain Practice, P.C. It is a 10-minute drive from his home.
Diagnosis, rehab and back on the job
An exam showed a herniated disc pressing on a nerve. Marek went to physical therapy and received two spinal injections. Month by month, the pain eased. After a few months he was walking without pain again, and he went back to work.
“The most important thing was that everything was close to home. My wife didn’t have to take time off to drive me. I could focus on getting better,” Marek says.
The name and some details have been changed. Treatment results vary from patient to patient.
Who picks the doctor under New York Workers’ Compensation
Marek’s story shows a rule he did not know about before. Dr. Nasiek puts it simply. If you got hurt in New York, your case is handled by the New York Workers’ Compensation system. In that system, the patient chooses the doctor. Not the boss, and not the insurance company.
As the doctor points out, the doctor you choose does not need an office in New York. He or she can see patients in New Jersey. The employer’s insurance covers the treatment, so the patient does not pay. People who are already being treated somewhere else can usually switch doctors, just as Marek did.
Why a nearby office matters
According to Dr. Nasiek, treatment after a work injury often lasts many months. There are visits, tests and procedures. When the office is far away, a single visit takes the whole day. When it is close, it is a short drive. Getting treated near home, the doctor notes, means:
- less pain on the road, because sitting in a car for a long time wears out an injured back,
- less time stuck in traffic,
- less spent on gas, tolls for bridges and tunnels, and parking,
- family members don’t have to take time off to drive you,
- it is easier to make every appointment, and that helps you recover faster.
The doctor also reminds patients that after some procedures you are not allowed to drive yourself. That is when a short trip home really counts.
From Rego Park to four New Jersey towns
For years, Dr. Nasiek’s practice has treated New York Workers’ Compensation patients at its office in Rego Park, Queens. Dr. Nasiek is formally authorized by the NY Workers’ Compensation Board. The same level of care is now available in New Jersey, in Garfield, Englewood, Elizabeth and East Orange.
People come to these offices with back or neck pain, shoulder or knee injuries, and head injuries. Tests and procedures are done on site, and each patient gets a rehab plan. The practice also prepares all the medical reports for Workers’ Compensation and for the patient’s attorney.
How to make an appointment
The first step is a phone call to 201-894-1313. You can talk in Polish. The office looks at the case and usually books a visit within a few days. Callers without an attorney can get help finding a good one. More on injured workers’ rights: Poland.us guide: who chooses your workers’ compensation doctor.
Dr. Nasiek sums it up in one line: “Your accident. Your case. Your choice of doctor.”
About the doctor
Dr. Dariusz Nasiek, MD, is triple board-certified: Board-Certified Anesthesiologist, Board-Certified in Pain Medicine and Board-Certified Interventional Pain Physician. Dr. Nasiek has formal authorization from the NY Workers’ Compensation Board and more than 35 years of experience.
Allied Neurology & Interventional Pain Practice, P.C.: pain management, neurology, head injuries, medical documentation. Offices: Garfield, Englewood (185 Grand Avenue), Elizabeth, East Orange (NJ) and Rego Park and Washington Heights (NY). Phone 201-894-1313, www.alliedspineinstitute.com. Polish spoken. contact Dr. Nasiek’s practice
This article is for informational purposes only. It is not legal or medical advice.
