The good ole days in workers’ compensation have come and gone. Parties are now required to go through the Panel Qualified Medical Evaluator (QME) process when they disagree with treating physicians. Changes to QME laws have occurred as recently as 2013. This QME process is often where we see prospective clients make mistakes and end up with a mess that cannot be cleaned up. We recommend you request a free consultation with this office regarding your workers’ compensation matter before it is too late!
Once you have representation by an attorney, the parties may be able to obtain an Agreed Medical Evaluator (AME). While it takes time to obtain an appointment with an AME, it is usually worth the wait. These are doctors we agree to in order to level the playing field based on our firm’s experience with said doctors. Representation by a workers’ compensation attorney is necessary to attempt the AME process. Otherwise injured workers might be forced into an evaluation with the “company doctor.”
The QME process is a crap shoot! The Department of Industrial Relations Medical Unit provides a list of three doctors. The hope is that no “company doctors” show up on that list. Parties have several arguments when QME regulations/laws are not followed. These arguments may delay a workers’ compensation case for several months. It is important to conduct the process per the regulations to avoid delay.
Recently the Medical Unit has been rejecting QME requests altogether due to even the smallest departure from the regulations. While the practitioners wonder if this is just an excuse for the Medical Unit to say they have caught up on QME requests, the reality is MORE DELAY. Of course, the delay only hurts the injured worker!
Do yourself a favor and consult with the workers’ compensation attorneys at Timmons, Owen, Jansen & Tichy, Inc., immediately concerning your workers’ compensation injury. They will be able to assist you in avoiding delay, the “company doctor,” and a workers’ compensation mess!
