MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota. If you’ve been injured in a car accident in Minneapolis, Minnesota, you may be asked to undergo an independent medical examination to confirm your injuries. According to Business Insurance, independent medical examinations may be requested by your insurance company if they dispute your claim. In some cases, the independent medical examination reports may be intentionally vague, or the doctors hired by the insurance company may be told the reasoning for the examination, which could influence their findings. While independent medical exams are designed to catch fraudulent claims, in some cases, these exams themselves can lead to fraudulent results. After all, if the doctor is paid by the insurer, the doctor may be working in the insurer’s best interests and not yours. This may also happen during medical exams requested as part of a life insurance policy which is why many people like to go for coverage which does not require such exams – Final Expense Direct may be a good option for people who would rather go down this route when it comes to life insurance.
Independent medical exams should be performed by a neutral doctor, but when these examinations are paid for by insurance companies, doctors might sometimes skew their findings in favor of the insurers. According to the New York Times, sometimes patients would emerge with a six-page report issued from a doctor who only saw them for a few minutes.
What can you do if you believe the results of an independent medical examination are not credible? Insurance companies may try to use these results to deny a claim. If you believe the results of an independent medical examination may be in error, you may want to speak to a qualified personal injury lawyer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, like the Law Office of Martin T. Montilino. Our firm can review the doctor’s history with patients. In some cases, independent medical examiners are retired physicians. In some cases, patients have been able to successfully fight their findings by showing how a doctor’s age and illness could have impacted his or her findings. In some cases, individuals who contest the findings see the results dropped in court. Some judges are even aware of examiners who are known to produce skewed reports, or whose medical examinations are not appropriately thorough.
It is important for individuals who have been injured to protect themselves. If you’ve been in a car accident or have suffered another injury, seek medical attention as soon as possible and follow all your doctor’s instructions. Attend follow-up visits and follow all medical advice. Finally, it is also important to keep detailed records of your diagnosis, medical reports, and doctor’s findings. The more data you have from your own doctor, the better chance you’ll have when it comes to fighting a poorly performed independent medical examination.
If you are facing an independent medical examination for your insurance or personal injury claim, it is important to be prepared. The Minneapolis, Minnesota personal injury lawyer at the Law Office of Martin T. Montilino can help you understand the process and can make you aware of any red flags to watch for during the examination. If the results don’t accord with the diagnosis your doctor has provided, your attorney can work with you to fight these claims in court. We can help catch mistakes and fight to help you get the justice you may deserve.