Idaho Law Blog
Often in worker’s compensation cases there are three common experts that are used. The physician, functional capacity expert and a vocational expert. These three experts give valuable and important opinions on your case, which is why you will most likely see each one of these experts for both sides.
The first expert that I would like to talk about is the physician. These are skilled professionals who have spent years study and treating the body. They are experts in their field and their opinion can pack a lot of weight behind it when it comes to settlement time. Usually the expert on your side is your treating physician. They have been the one seeing you every week, they did the surgery and the follow up. It seems logical that they would be the leading expert on your side. Sometimes that isn’t the case. In some cases you’re treating physician doesn’t get involved in legal matters and won’t offer his or her opinion. In that case you will most likely be sent to a trusted physician who gives an honest opinion of your cause of injury and impairment. It should be cut and dried right? Wrong! The insurance company has their own expert physician. Their hired gun! Often these doctors won’t give you a fair assessment and will attribute your injury to some other pre-existing condition. They will give you an unfair low impairment, take their fat check. In my years of practice I have seen some physicians give honest fair assessment even if they are getting paid by the insurance company. I have seen it go the other way as well.
Don’t accept the opinion of the doctor hired by the insurance company. Fight back! Hire an experienced Idaho worker’s compensation lawyer. We will get you to a doctor that will tell the truth about your condition and support your claim for disability. Call us we are her to help!