If you have suffered a personal injury and look to file a claim to be compensated for your injuries, then it is important to understand the various facets that your claim will have. When you make a claim, it is critical to detail your medical condition, medical treatment, and include your medical records so your compensation claim can be paid appropriately.
Don’t be surprised if the insurance company does not just take your claim at face value and requires a report by an independent medical examiner to back up your claim. If you are an injured worker, then you will likely need an independent medical examination to receive your appropriate compensation benefits. Make sure that you have an experienced compensation attorney by your side when you make such a claim.
What is a Medical Examination and When is One Necessary?
When someone is injured either on the job or in some type of accident, a claim must be made for that person to be compensated. Medical exams are conducted to determine what type of injuries one has, whether they have a permanent disability, and what type of medical care they need. These are comprehensive reports that are critical towards a personal injury claim or a job injury claim. Workplace injuries that require recovery or time off will require these types of exams for the injured individual receive insurance benefits.
When is an Independent Exam Needed?
When a claim is made, an insurance carrier or defense attorney will often require a second opinion by someone other than the insurance company doctor to conduct a physical examination to determine what compensation is appropriate. These medical professionals look to determine if there is permanent impairment to injury victims, what types of injuries suffered, and whether the injuries require significant money recovery. The monetary recovery in these cases can be in the hundreds of thousands in the right situations.
What Types of Injuries Can Be Compensated?
Independent medical examinations seek to determine whether several serious physical injuries occurred to the accident victim, including:
- Soft Tissue Injuries
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Permanent Disfigurement
- Spinal Injuries
An individual’s medical history and health history will also be considered when determining what injuries can be compensated. A favorable report from an independent medical examiner can go a long way in determining your potential compensation.
This examiner will inspect your physical condition, whether you have had any medical improvement, and your general level of pain. These insurance doctors serve an important role in the claims process and should be viewed as important cogs in the wheels of justice.
Who Requests Independent Medical Examinations?
An independent medical examination can be requested by Washington State Department of Labor & Industries or a self-insured employer. When a comp claim is made, there are several steps a case must go through before compensation is agreed upon and paid out. The independent physicians are critical in the process to force insurance companies to pay what they are supposed to pay and not hide behind biased examiners that seek to help insurance companies reduce their financial exposure.
How Can a Lawyer Help?
An experienced lawyer can help your claim in many ways. Navigating the claims process can be difficult when you face experienced claims adjusters whose main role is to minimize payouts to work against your insurance claim.
Compensation law can be tricky, and having proper legal counsel can help ensure that you get the maximum benefit possible. A strong working relationship with your attorney can help make your claim go smoother and be as strong as possible. People don’t know what they don’t know when dealing with claims such as these, and having aggressive and experienced help on their side in invaluable in making sure claims are appropriately paid out. Make sure you have the best help you can find on your side.
Finding a website and blog like this one can be helpful, but is not a substitute for proper legal help and advice. Make sure you contact an experienced attorney as soon as possible.
What Do I Do First?
The first thing that anyone should do when they have suffered an injury is to make sure they seek appropriate and immediate medical help. This means getting to a hospital and not waiting for injuries to just “feel better.” The time that someone waits to receive medical attention can be used against them later in a claim as the insurance company can claim that you were not seriously injured or some other factor caused your injury after the incident in question.
If you are able, make sure to take photos and videos of the area where the injury took place and note who was around when it all happened so they can be interviewed for any incident reports. Make sure to notify the appropriate authorities within your workplace or the police if your injury did not take place at work. The reports made by police in these scenarios are important in any claims and are typically used when determining liability and compensation payouts.
Sofia’s No Fee Guarantee
Attorney Sofia K. Miguel guarantees that you will never write a check to our law firm under Sofia’s “no fee guarantee.” Consultations are free and if your case is selected, then Sofia will also cover all of your court costs incurred during your personal injury case.
Sofia only gets paid when you do. Her services will cost you nothing out of pocket; simple as that. Let Sofia’s over twenty years of experience in helping people recover from their injuries get to work for you now.
If you or a loved one has suffered an injury due to an accident near Seattle, Puyallup, or Tacoma, WA, then contact us for an initial consultation with Sofia Miguel as she is ready to help you fight to get the money you deserve.
Call us at 253-200-4471, come visit our office right here in Puyallup at 702 S. Hill Park Dr. #207, or contact us online anytime. We are here for you.
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