Sometimes during the negotiation process with an insurance company after an accident, the insurer demands that the claimant has another medical examination. This will provide a second opinion from a so-called independent medical examiner. The claimant is likely to feel skeptical about how independent this process actually is since it’s arranged by the insurance company. A Personal Injury Lawyer in Oswego IL provides insight into why insurers make this request and how to deal with it.
Refusing to have this physical exam done will have a negative effect on the negotiations. The insurer may believe the person is not as injured as claimed if he or she is unwilling to have this verified by a second medical professional. Underwriters are concerned that if the patient sees the family doctor, this physician might be biased because of a long-term relationship with this individual. The doctor may believe the person’s statements about ongoing severe pain even if there is little diagnostic evidence to support this. The insurance company may refuse to pay any settlement unless the independent exam is performed.
Unfortunately, these appointments do not always result in a positive outcome for the injured person. The independent medical examiners usually do a great deal of work for insurance companies and know the insurer has a goal of limiting the payment amount. In addition, it may have been several weeks since the accident, making it difficult for a doctor to evaluate what was happening immediately afterward. Also, this is the first time this particular doctor has evaluated the patient, whereas the original doctor may have seen the patient numerous times by now.
A Personal Injury Lawyer in Oswego IL can point out all these discrepancies in diagnostics and evaluation in a convincing manner. The client’s own doctor may be asked to write a response to the insurer. Expert witnesses may become involved, perhaps to verify aspects such as the percentage of people in this type of accident who suffer from chronic pain afterward. Please visit the website to learn more about one firm offering legal services to injured persons and to schedule a free consultation.
Connect with us with on Google+!
