Practical guidance for physicians and claim stakeholders An independent medical examination can influence treatment authorization, return to work, permanent impairment benefits, and the resolution of a disputed claim. Its usefulness depends on whether the examiner gathers the right information, applies an appropriate method, and explains the resulting opinions in language the reader can evaluate. Many […]
Category: The Impairment Report
Maximum Medical Improvement: A Medicolegal Physician’s Perspective for Physicians, Attorneys, and Claims Professionals
Why This Concept Deserves More Scrutiny Than It Gets In my extensive experience, I have found no concept more frequently invoked, more often misunderstood, or more consequential to a claim’s outcome than Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI). Attorneys cite it as a trigger to terminate benefits. Claims adjusters treat it as a green light to close […]
Causation Analysis: A Practical Framework for Defensible Opinions
What physicians, attorneys, and claims professionals need to know A diagnosis answers what condition is present. A causation analysis asks why it occurred – and whether the evidence supports linking it to a claimed event or exposure. Those are different questions, and a defensible opinion must answer both in the correct order. At a glance: […]
MedicoLegal Practice Essentials – Impairment and Disability
The Essential Distinction Every Medicolegal Physician, Attorney, Claims Professional, and Case Manager Should Understand Why the Distinction Matters Few terms generate more avoidable confusion in medicolegal practice than impairment and disability. Physicians use them when assessing permanent loss and work capacity; attorneys use them when analyzing entitlement and damages; claims professionals use them when administering […]
