Filing a workers’ compensation claim can be a grueling process, especially if the insurance company disputes the validity of your condition. The insurance adjuster, hearing officer or judge on your case may even ask you to undergo an independent medical examination (IME) to gather results to be used as evidence in your case. The IME will be used to help determine the degree of your injury and the estimated compensation owed to you in the eyes of the insurance company.
While it’s possible to negotiate with an insurance company yourself, in the case of a workers’ comp claim where you’ve been asked to undergo a medical exam, it’s best to have an experienced workers’ comp attorney in your corner. Take a look at the reasons below.
The Insurance Company Chooses the IME Doctor
You will have already undergone tests and evaluations of your injury from the doctor treating you, who will have devised a treatment plan and estimated your period of recovery. The IME doctor is only requested if the insurance company or hearing officer involved disputes your doctor’s results. The IME is meant to be an objective evaluation of the injuries you sustained while on the job.
However, the insurance company is most likely in charge of choosing the IME doctor if they are the ones requesting you undergo the exam at all. This doctor will therefore be paid by the insurance company and dependent on them for future referrals. Often, it will in the doctor’s best interest to downplay the impact of your injuries and thus the scope of your workers’ comp benefits so that they remain in good standing with the insurance company.
A workers’ comp attorney will help you if the insurance company is challenging the opinion your doctor has already formed about your injuries. Especially if you’ve suffered a serious injury that will put you out of work for a while and thus cost more for the insurance company, you need someone on your side to make sure your medical bills are covered. Your workers’ comp attorney will fight the insurance company with your family’s financial safety in mind.
It’s Hard to Dispute IME Results
Though the insurance company hires the IME doctor, their results are viewed as an expert opinion in the courtroom. These results are also viewed as objective because the doctor isn’t personally attached to or directly involved in your treatment. A workers’ comp attorney, however, is better equipped to challenge these results when you are unable to. They can file objections to limits on your benefits or move to request further examination so the results come out in your favor.
Contact Peter N. Davis Today
The legal team at the Law Offices of Peter N. Davis and Associates is proud to have gotten personal injury clients in Paterson, New Jersey awarded over $150 million since 1988. Whether you need a workers’ compensation attorney or have been injured in a car accident, we’re glad to help fight the insurance company on your behalf.