Minnesota Workers' Compensation Attorney

About Independent Medical Examinations

In Minnesota, one of the most common tactics that insurance companies employ to try to get out of paying workers' compensation benefits is to send you to what's known as an independent medical exam or IME. In our experience, the vast majority of independent medical exams do not come back in favor of the injured worker. It is important to understand the implications of an Independent Medical Examination (IME). Your workers compensation insurance company will most likely schedule you to see a doctor of their choice. If the doctor decides that you do not need any more treatment, then you may lose your benefits , or may be forced to return to work when you have not had time to fully recover from your injuries. If your insurance company requested that you go to an IME, it is very important that you see a Minnesota workers' compensation attorney to protect yourself from the sometimes unfair practice of independent medical exams.

Do you have to go to an IME?

Yes. If you receive a letter from the insurance carrier telling you to see a doctor for an independent medical exam at a certain time and place, you are required to go. The doctor you will see is working for the insurance company and your employer, not for you. As a result, he or she is likely to say that you are ready to return to work following your exam. However, that does not necessarily mean that your benefits will stop. The IME doctor will base his or her opinion on an examination that lasts about 20 minutes. Our lawyers could argue that the opinion of your treating doctor should carry more weight concerning your disability than a doctor who only saw you one time and only for 20 minutes .

Workers' Compensation Lawyer in Minnesota

At Heimerl & Lammers in St. Paul, Minnesota, our lawyers are proud to bring our decades of experience to bear on your workers' compensation case. If you have been asked to go to an IME, our lawyers offer a free initial consultation to discuss your rights and your options. O ur lawyers charge no up-front fees. We do not receive payment unless we recover compensation for you. If you have been asked to go to an IME or have been denied workers' compensation benefits, contact us today so we can start working immediately to get you the benefits you need to recover.

Contact a Minnesota workers' compensation attorney if your insurance company requested you have an independent medical exam or if you have been denied benefits based on an IME.