Section 12 of the Act authorizes the insurance company to have you evaluated by one of their doctors. The evaluation is referred to in the Act as an “Independent Medical Evaluation” commonly referred as an “IME”.
The *independent* doctor is paid by the insurance companies and if they are looking to find something favorable for the insurance company and against you, they will try to conclude:
- You were not hurt at all; or
- If you were hurt, the cause of your injuries are a pre-existing degenerative condition and not your work accident (meaning you may not eligible for workers’ compensation benefits); or
- Now you are perfectly fine, 100% healed and you do not need any additional medical care. You can return to the exact same job as you had before your injury without restrictions.
Insurance company’s lawyers will, at the very least, use the defense IME physician as a tactic to delay the proceedings and see if you, the injured party, has the strength or the wherewithal to pursue a medical course of treatment that they will not authorize and without any weekly temporary total disability compensation.
Sostrin and Sostrin will file emergency motions to reinstate benefits and prove to the judge that you are still injured and having residual problems.