One of the biggest factors affecting the outcome of an Arkansas Workers’ Compensation cases are medical opinions. These can come from many sources, those include medical records, testimony, and written opinion letters from providers.
It is important for Claimants who are proceeding with a Workers’ Compensation Claim to have solid medical evidence backed by solid medical opinions from treating healthcare providers.
The lawyers at the Law Office of Craig L. Cook are experienced in helping clients present medical evidence and opinions that assure a successful outcome in challenged Workers’ Compensation Claims.
Employers and their insurance companies are notorious for obtaining independent medical evaluations to justify denying benefits to Claimants.
What is an Independent Medical Evaluation?
An independent medical evaluation is when a non-treating doctor evaluates a patient and opines as to medical treatment. Insurance companies often utilize these exams to deny treatment, which is costly.
A patient may be recommended fusion lumbar surgery as an example. The insurance company can hire an independent doctor to review the recommendation and offer the opinion that the need for surgery is age-related. This is a very common practice.
What do you do if the insurance company denies your claim because of an adverse medical opinion?
One option is to get your treating doctor to write a letter saying the treatment is related to your workplace injury, reasonable, and necessary.
Another is to hire your own expert to write a medical opinion. You also have the right to request to cross-examine the doctor who wrote the adverse opinion.
The above options can be difficult and costly. The lawyers at the Law Office of Craig L. Cook are experienced in challenging medical opinions that hurt a client’s case.
This includes hiring experts and cross-examining the doctors who offer these bad opinions. Please call us and allow us to evaluate your Arkansas Workers’ Compensation case.
