Are You At The End Of Your Workers’ Comp?
For those injured at work, your employer provides you with a form of insurance made to cover your medical bills and some of your salary. This means that you don't need to come up with money for those expensive doctor's visits, hospitalizations, surgeries or even medication. If you are now earning these benefits, you should realize that they will not go on indefinitely. Read on to learn more about what could happen if you cannot return to work in a timely enough manner.
Not all injuries heal uniformly
You might think so, however, if you look at the issue from the workers' comp point of view. You may not know it, but your workers' comp insurance is estimating your return to work based on your type of injury. When you try to color outside of that line, you may encounter the independent medical exam (IME). The insurance carrier needs to know why you are unable to return to work in the expected amount of time, and this exam allows them to make some decisions on your claim from the results.
The IME and you
As you may know, injuries are unique to each person and everyone heals differently. You should treat this exam seriously, since the doctor's ruling has the potential to send you back to work before you are ready to do so. Make sure that you understand the dynamic here: the IME doctor works for the workers' comp insurance carrier and there should be no expectation of confidentiality or sympathy.
How to handle the IME
Get your ducks in a row before the exam and review your past paperwork and medical records carefully to refresh your memory. You are allowed to take your file with you into the exam room. Be sure to emphasize to the doctor the level of pain, discomfort, mobility and the manner that the injury has affected your life up to now. Your injury will be examined and manipulated, and further diagnostic tests may be ordered.
The IME results
The IME doctor will make one of three rulings:
1. Your injuries have healed enough for you to return to work.
2. Your injuries need some more time to heal and your current level of benefits will continue.
3. Your injuries are at a plateau and no further healing is expected. You are at a level of maximum medical improvement (a permanent injury).
If you are being told that you must return to work or risk losing your job and you are still unable to do so, or if you are being told that you have a permanent injury, you may need a workers' comp attorney, like one from The Law Offices Of Martin Von Mizener, to assist you with your claim.
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