Prepare For Your Workers Compensation Independent Medical Examination
If you have suffered injuries at work, you may be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits.
But such benefits will not come on a silver platter. You will need to provide your independent medical examination (IME). One main area where employees face disputes is when proving their injuries and how they relate to their jobs.
When seeking workers’ compensation benefits due to workplace accidents or any other personal injury case, it’s more likely that an insurance company will be interested in your IME. Unfortunately, getting facts about IMEs is always a battle.
This article contains the formation you need to do the right thing when preparing for an IME.
You Need To Prepare For Your Independent Medical Examination For Worker’s Compensation
An independent medical examination (IME) is an evaluation conducted on injured victims to resolve their medical situations for their resolve workers’ compensation claims.
Not every employee is familiar with the process of IME. But, having the right information can help increase your chances of getting a more favorable outcome.
Attorneys familiar with the accident in Anchorage today can tell you that an IME can have a huge impact on your compensation claim. The examiner aims to determine whether your injuries are work-related and to write a report. If you want a favorable outcome, you need the best for your IME. As such, you may consider to:
- Prepare before the exact date: This calls for being organized. This can help you get ready to answer any question. Some of the common questions you may be asked include how you suffered your injuries, how they are related to your work, and what symptoms you are experiencing, among others.
You should be keen only to mention what you have been asked. All details for your injuries should be fresh in your mind and such questions should not be tough to answer.
- Don’t exaggerate your injuries:One big mistake is to lie about your injuries. You should not state you suffered severe injuries while it’s not the case. But, again, exaggerating your pain may only lead to your loss of credibility, which may greatly affect your claim.
- Be punctual:This may send a positive reaction to your examiner. You don’t know who much paperwork may be awaiting you that need to be filled before the process starts.
- Have your medical history at your fingertips: Your medical history is the main determinant of whether to get compensated or not. So giving out correct information will produce the right case outcome. You should mention any pain you are going through and how it’s affecting your happiness and life. It’s worth going through all your medical information before your appointment date. Make sure to be consistent with what you say before, during, and after the appointment.
- Bring out a distinction between your previous and current injuries: If you had injuries before the work-related ones, you will be questioned about such. You should be sure to provide the distinction between your current and previous injuries. For instance, you may have suffered from a back injury five years ago, and you recovered fully. On the other hand, the current injury may have aggravated existing injuries. You should describe why you think there is a connection or vice versa.
- Talk of your positive life:You need to show an examiner how you enjoyed your life before such injuries occurred. You should bring out examples of how your life was distracted after the injury. The doctor may be considerate about this.
- Ask to review the letter for your employer insurer: Such a letter contains all information about your medical conditions. It also highlights all the information to be requested by the IME examiner. Reviewing the letter beforehand can help you correct any mistakes.
- Have a friend along to the exam:A trusted friend can offer you support during your exam. He/she is not to contribute to anything during the exam but can take notes. You may not be in a position to take notes. From such notes, you can know how long your exam lasted, what kind of questions you were asked, and sometimes even the outcome of any test performed.
Though the examiner will prepare a report at the end of the session, you may want to compare such notes with what was written down by your friend. Also, you may want to inquire more about anything inconsistent. For the latter, you should let your lawyer handle your case.
Hire A Workers Compensation Attorney
You need to have the right information on how to handle your IME.
If the insurance has requested an Independent Medical Examination, you should secure your benefits by having a worker’s compensation attorney offer legal representation. This is the only way to protect your claim.
Remember that you don’t have to pay for your IME. This is to be paid by the insurance company. Your lawyer is better positioned to legally prepare you for the best outcome of your IME results.
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