If you are injured in the workplace and are considering seeking workers’ compensation, you will need to undergo a comprehensive evaluation by a medical professional. This examination will help to document the extent of your injuries, provide an outlook for how the injury may affect you down the road, and what injuries need to be considered during a compensation claim. Needless to say, a fair and accurate medical evaluation is crucial if you are considering filing for compensation.
But how can you ensure that you receive a fair evaluation after a work injury? In today’s blog, we share some tips for how you can pick the right doctor to conduct your independent medical examination after a work injury.
Picking Your IME Doctor
Here are some tips for making sure that your independent medical examination is performed by a specialist who will provide a comprehensive and accurate evaluation.
1. Remember Your Rights – Minnesota allows an injured employee to go to a doctor of their choosing for an evaluation during a workers’ compensation case. Despite what your employer may tell you, who you see for care is up to you. They may try to guide you to a provider with a history of low injury ratings, but know that you can refuse to go to their specific provider for an initial evaluation. However, if they have an issue with the original medical report, they can request that you undergo a second IME. The employer would have to foot the bill for this review, and refusing to attend it can cause problems for your claim.
2. Consider Your PCP – If you have a good relationship with your primary care physician, you may want to have them perform your IME. This is a great idea so long as your primary care provider is well-versed in conducting a specific work-related independent medical exam. Give their office a call or check online to see if they specifically mention IMEs or medical evaluations after work injuries. You may have a good relationship with them, but if they aren’t familiar with the ins and outs of an IME, they may not be the best person to perform your exam. You could still reach out to their office and see if they have any recommendations for who should perform the IME.
3. Talk To Your Lawyer – Your lawyer can also be a helpful resource in your search for a competent IME doctor. They will likely have worked with a number of different doctors as a result of handling numerous injury cases in the past, and they probably know which ones do a great job of providing comprehensive IMEs. Give your lawyer a call and see if they have any recommendations.
4. Read Reviews – Finally, take some time to read some online reviews of a provider or healthcare clinic before you set up an appointment for your IME. There’s a good chance that someone else has been in a similar situation and left a review, and this can help you understand if the provider may be a good fit for your situation. Remember to look at reviews from neutral sites like Google, Yelp or social media sites, as a personal website will only feature the best and most glowing reviews since they are controlled by the employer.
If you do these four things and trust your case to Dean and the team at Margolis Law Firm, we’re confident that you’ll be able to set yourself up for success by choosing a helpful physician for your IME. For help with this process, or for answers to other questions you have, reach out to Dean and his team today at (952) 230-2700.
