The insurance carrier will often try to terminate a worker’s benefits by sending the worker to have an independent medical examination. (IME) The doctors who perform these IMEs are often physicians who regularly prepare reports on behalf of insurance companies. They are used to preparing pro-employer reports and even testifying about these reports.
Settling a worker’s compensation case when a doctor says you can return to work is especially difficult – if you don’t have any family members or people who you can rely on. These workers need every dollar they can get. Workers with relatives who can help out are under less pressure to get every dollar. They can take less money to settle their claim.
In addition to using a nurse case manager and a vocational rehabilitation counselor to try to terminate your workers’ compensation benefits, there are other indirect tricks the insurance carrier for the employer will try.
The Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission has specific guidelines for Vocation Rehabilitation Counselors. The guidelines include a Vocational Rehabilitation Plan, Meetings between the employee and the VCR, the role of the employee’s attorney, medical concerns and transportation issues.
The Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor is subject to the Virginia Worker’s Compensation Law. This means the VCR has to follow these Commission Rules for his recommendations to be valid. Some of the things a VCR cannot do are:
5500-B Greenwich Rd.
Virginia Beach, VA 23462
If you are looking at this site, you or a loved one has probably been hurt. If that's true, you've come to the right place. Helping people who have been hurt is what we do. In fact, it is all we do. Joe Miller Law is a law firm concentrating exclusively on representing people who are injured by the carelessness of others or those hurt on the job. We provide the highest quality legal services to people who have been seriously injured. We practice Personal Injury law and Workmens' Compensation law in both Virginia and North Carolina.
