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THE COMPANY DOCTOR IS SENDING ME BACK TO WORK BEFORE I AM READY:Injured workers are often made to believe that their only option is to keep on treating with a company doctor who may be in the pocket of the employer or the insurance carrier, who may not take your injuries seriously, who may not practice good medicine, or who simply may be a jerk. Doctors who work for “occupational health” groups are under pressure from employers and insurance adjusters to keep disabled workers on the job, or to release injured workers to full or light duty even if it's too soon and even if it could make their injuries worse. Some company doctor’s will even delay or deny appropriate diagnostic testing, just to stay on good terms with the employers and insurance carriers who pay for their services.AN INDEPENDENT MEDICAL EXAMINATION DOCTOR SAYS I CAN RETURN TO WORK:If you have been sent to a workers compensation independent medical examination (which is really an insurance medical examination) the result can almost be predicted: the IME doctor chosen by the insurance company is going to say you can return to work. This will be either to full duty, without restrictions, or to light duty based on a physical capacities assessment form, which the IME doctor will fill out at the time of your examination. Very often, the insurance company will then send you a Notice of Ability to Return to Work - as the next step in an effort to terminate, suspend or reduce your workers compensation benefits.Clients often complain to me that these so-called independent medical examinations are bogus or medically improper, or state things like "the IME doctor didn't examine me - he didn't even touch me." More typically, the examination itself is extremely short and performed almost as an afterthought. The reports are predictable: the IME doctor provides the insurance company with an affidavit of recovery, a physical capacity assessment or other release to return the employee to work. If you are that employee, you can bet the insurance company will try to use this to cut off your benefits, even if no return to work is offered and even if it would be impossible for you to find work within your physical capabilities in the real world. HOW TO FIGHT THE COMPANY DOCTOR OR IME PHYSICIAN:The insurer, the employer, the IME experts and even the lowliest company doctors are generally all very well-versed in the ways of the workers' compensation system. Any or all of them may seek to benefit their own positions at your expense. All of them have a stake in minimizing your injury. For this reason, it is important for you to really know your rights. If your employer's workers compensation doctor is forcing you back to work before you have recovered, don't risk worsening your injury when you have other moe appropriate options. Call the Law Offices of Timothy Kennedy There are ways to fight back! Your work injury gives you rights! Many of these rights will depend upon your particular situation and how best your clever, insightful and experienced workers’ compensation attorney advises you and guides you through the perils of the system. Other rights, however, apply generally to all employees covered under the Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act, and you should be aware of these important Pennsylvania Workers Compensation rights.Now we have reached the point where you simply must call me. Seriously. Stop reading and call 610 924 5667 or 215 559 5003 so that we may discuss your situation NOW.  We Make It Convenient for You:Unlike some lawyers you may have talked to or dealt with in the past, we never forget that we work for you, not the other way around. We make it easy for you. We keep you advised of what is going on in your case, by sending you copies of every letter we send out, by calling you with updates periodically, and by promptly responding to every telephone call and e-mail we receive. We also make it easy for you with two convenient locations to meet with you: Mr. Kennedy's primary offices in Havertown, Delaware County, just off the Blue Route; and our satellite office in Northeast Philadelphia/Trevose at the Neshaminy Interplex.But we know that when you are hurting, particularly in the early days, weeks or months after a serious injury, even commuting to one of our three convenient locations may be difficult for you. If your injuries have forced you from the workplace or limited your earning capacity, you may also have difficulty with the expense of commuting to one of our locations. For these reasons, we are generally available to come to you, to meet in your home or another suitable location convenient to you, by appointment. Whether you live in Norristown, West Chester, Bucks County, or even in Allentown, Quakertown or Reading, the broad scope of our personal injury and workers' compensation practice frequently takes us into your area. This makes it convenient for us to agree to meet with you at a time and place of your choosing, when you decide to make us your law firm of choice. These are just some of the many ways we demonstrate to our clients, every day, our commitment to serving your needs, at the same time we are aggressively representing your rights and advancing your claims. Please call us today: 610 924 5667 or 215 559 5003. |
