An independent medical examination, or IME, is a common component of the worker’s compensation process. IMEs are requested by your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance company to determine the benefits you will receive from your workplace injury. It is natural to think that you are not required to go to it because it is not your doctor and you have not requested the examination. However, regardless of whether you want to go, IMEs are a necessary part of the process. If you do not submit to the examination, your work comp benefits may be impacted.
Experienced Workers’ Compensation Representation in Minnesota
The workers’ compensation claims process can be challenging to understand and even harder to manage. If you have been injured on the job, you know that it is vital that you receive the support, assistance, and compensation to recover from the injury while making ends meet. However, it is often the case that work comp insurance companies will try to find any way to pay out less and deprive you of the compensation you need and deserve. Hiring an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer can help you navigate the process and obtain your necessary benefits. The 612-INJURED workers’ compensation attorneys are ready to help you get the assistance you need. To learn more or schedule your initial case consultation, call us at (612) 465-8733.
What Is an Independent Medical Examination (IME)?
An IME is a medical examination requested by and paid by your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance companies. The purpose of the examination is not for treatment. Instead, it is an examination to determine if there are any present factors they can use to disqualify or discontinue your worker’s compensation benefits.
It is important to remember that the doctor performing the IME is not your doctor and the purpose of the exam is not for treatment. The insurance company hires the doctor solely to give an expert opinion regarding your workplace injury’s nature, cause, and extent. There is no doctor-patient relationship in the exam, so anything you tell them can be reported to the insurance company as part of the exam. The doctor provides recommendations on what future treatment should be if any at all.
While undergoing the exam, it is crucial to note certain information occurring during the exam, like how long the exam lasts, what kind of tests are performed, or where the doctor touches you during the exam. It is essential that you note examination information for future reference. Depending on the IME doctor’s examination findings, this information could be valuable evidence should legal action be required concerning your work comp benefits.
The Doctor’s Opinion And Your Workers’ Compensation Benefits
The doctor’s opinion and the results of the IME will have a direct impact on the worker’s compensation benefits you receive. Depending on what they find, your benefits may be discontinued or reduced even though you are not actually recovered.
The doctor’s opinion might include a few different findings that can disrupt or discontinue your workers’ compensation benefits payments. First, the doctor may find that your injury was not work-related, and therefore, you should not be compensated for your injury by the employer’s insurance company in the first place.
The doctor may also find that you have reached maximum medical improvement or MMI. If you have reached maximum medical improvement, you will likely no longer make any significant improvement from the injury itself regardless of the medical care provided. This means benefits like temporary total, which help pay the difference between your previous wages and your wages after your injury, may be affected.
And finally, a doctor might even determine that past treatment you have received was unnecessary, which may prompt the insurance company to deny compensation for that past treatment.
What to Do after an IME
Depending on the results of the IME, it may cause you to have reduced or discontinued benefits. If that happens, it is important to hire an experienced workers’ compensation attorney as soon as possible. A work comp lawyer can help you interact with the insurance company to resolve benefits disputes.
Hiring an Experienced Minnesota Worker’s Compensation Lawyer
If you have been injured at work, it is essential that you receive the treatment and compensation that you deserve. If you encounter compensation disputes, it can be challenging to know what to do or how to proceed. When these disputes arise, it is vital to have an experienced worker’s compensation attorney on your side. The workers’ compensation lawyers at 612-INJURED are ready to help you with your workers’ compensation case. To learn more or schedule your initial case consultation, call us at (612) 465-8733.
