A decision of the Medical Panel is usually legally binding on the parties and a court is generally required to follow its decision. Therefore great care and consideration is needed in determining whether to refer a matter to a Medical Panel. In February this year we posted an article titled “Beware that Medical Panel opinions [...]
Tag Archives | medical panel
Beware that Medical Panel opinions & decisions are legally binding
Late last year, the court of appeal (VIC) handed down a – in our humble opinion- rather harsh decision concerning Medical Panels, which may have serious ramifications and consequences for all injured workers referred to such Panels. Beware that Medical Panel opinions & decisions are legally binding In the Victorian case Kocak v Wingfoot Australia [...]
Permanent impairment entitlements: know the tricks, know your rights
Getting through a permanent impairment assessment in Victoria is not as straight forward as many injured workers may think. There are – unfortunately – many dirty tactics routinely used by so called “independent assessors” (and of course the hand that feeds them, namely the workcover insurance) used to deliberately downgrade your permanent injuries, all in [...]
The guide to the evaluation of psychiatric impairment for clinicians (G.E.P.I.C.)
By popular demand, here is the Guide to the evaluation of psychiatric impairment for clinicians (G.E.P.I.C) used today to assess permanent primary and/or secondary psychiatric/psychological conditions suffered as a result from or as a consequenceof a workplace injury, by insurance doctors and medical panels. This extremely important Guide was published in the Victoria Government Gazette [...]
How to deal with malingering in workers comp cases:aargghh!
I couldn’t sleep last night due to severe shoulder pain and was up all night, initially watching crap on TV and then surfing the net on my partner’s iPad. For fun I entered the key words “malingering + workers compensation” and was shocked to see how much bullsh*t came up! Needless to say that the [...]
If the IME expresses bias in your assessment report, Complain Complain Complain
“This IME Psychiatrist saw me for the second time in 6 months in the wake of the severe bullying I incurred on a Return To Work. He stood up over me and shouted at me during the assessment, at a point where I was crying and having difficulty articulating my thoughts. I can’t prove that [...]
AMA Guide 4th Edition evaluation of permanent impairment handbook
A very loyal reader and good friend of ours has come across and so kindly shared the User Handbook to the AMA 4th Edition Guide to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, which is still used in many states to assess how the whole person impairment is calculated. AMA Guide 4th Edition evaluation of permanent impairment [...]
WorkCover state the AMA guide does not recognise chronic pain
We received an email overnight from an injured worker pointing to a submission as recently made to the Joint Committee into the workers compensation NSW scheme. The submission raises interesting and very important questions, namely that WorkCover states the AMA guide does not recognise (rate) chronic pain and how does this impact injured workers who, [...]
WorkCover terminates payments – conciliation or medical panel?
We received an email from an injured worker overnight stating that after he had been sent to an independent medical exam (IME), his workcover insurer called him and cancelled his payments and all expenses on the basis of the IME’s opinion that his injury was not work related. The injured worker’s sollicitor advised him that [...]
Medical Panel or a judge?
A few days ago aworkcovervictimsdiary.com received a rather difficult-to-answer email from an injured worker, located in Victoria. The injured worker, who is supposed to attend court to dispute weekly payments, medical expenses and liability for additional injuries, is wondering whether his world is falling apart now that the workcover insurer insists on a Medical Panel [...]
Injured worker bullied & harassed by Allianz and sent to known IME hired gun
A couple of days ago, “Julie”, a severely injured workers posted a heart-wrenching comment on our blog under our article entitled “workcover case manager tells injured workers she is fat“. Julie suffers from severe physical and psychiatric injuries and has been (is being) relentlessly bullied and harassed by Allianz. She was also recently sent to [...]
Medical doctors are reaping WorkCover cash
The trouble-plagued WorkCover rehabilitation system has paid one doctor $237,000 since April 2009, when the panels were introduced as part of controversial changes to WorkCover, says The Adelaide. WorkCover SA is paying about 9 million dollars per year to doctors to “assess” injured workers…. WORKCOVER is paying about $9 million a year to doctors to [...]
Medico-Legal Medical Reports, IME, Medical Panel
What is medico-legal medicine and what are medico-legal medical reports Medico-legal Medicine is the interface between medicine and the law and usually requires a medical examination and the provision of a report. Administrators/Legal professionals require medical information to make some decisions. Medico-legal reports may be used for resolution of claims such as in civil injury, [...]
Are Medical Panel decisions binding?
What are medical Panels? According to their official website, Medical Panels are constituted pursuant to the Accident Compensation Act 1985 and the Wrongs Act 1958. A Medical Panel may be asked to provide an Opinion where there is disagreement or uncertainty about aspects of a WorkCover related injury or medical condition. A Medical Panel may [...]
The current workcover system for impairment rating is not fair at all
The current workcover system for impairment rating is not fair at all If you have read the previous post about “claiming compensation for pain and suffering” you may well have realised that our current workcover legal system is not set up as fairly as you first thought! It is only when you or someone close [...]
WorkCover insurance fraud, deceit or WTF?
As I mentioned earlier, I am in the process of attempting to get my final impairment assessment rated by a Medical Panel, for the third time in three years. However, whilst I have not received the formal Opinion of the Medical Panel, they surely already told me that they could not proceed and would have [...]
Supported by Erin Brockovich
-
Carol: Angela has the right to remain angry. Why should...
-
At A Loss: How genuine is the fraud, after all workcover no ...
-
John: What are your thoughts on it?...
-
Pauline Pope: Here's a fun sardonic write up of an Injured Work...
-
workcovervictim3: Just a case, but in the US (however could as well ...
-
-
-
-
-
ithurts: I dont know the full details but I did go & re...
-
-
HuntingWorkcover: i will be following this story, thanks for the lin...
-
-
Madame Zena: Angela, Can I give you a bit of sisterly advice...
-
-
NSW Court rules workcover amendments affecting lumpsums do not apply retrospectively
-
NSW injured workers can still make a further claim for impairment for that same injury – new legal case
-
Workcover case managers listen to background noise when phoning injured workers – WTF
-
Faulty assumptions only adds insult to injured workers
-
WorkCover NSW average premiums cut by 7.5 per cent
-
Government plan to make Comcare best practice model
-
Deed of release often used in settling workcover cases- what are they?
-
Barry’s reform adds insult to the injured
-
Recoveries of money under workcover
-
Assault on injured workers – more evidence and concern S.I.A
-
Vic Premier Naphtine called building workers safety march a disgrace
-
Employers incl RTW Coordinators are not allowed to attend doctors appointments
-
Workcover compensation schemes impede recovery from injury
-
International Day of Mourning: remembering those injured workers who have died
-
Judge criticises law firm about rejection of more generous settlement offer
-
Vexatious “injured” worker blocked by the courts – again
-
The huge cost of workplace stress and depression
-
NSW injured workers can still make a further claim for impairment for that same injury – new legal case
-
What has the attack on NSW’s Workers Compensation laws meant for you?
-
When can weekly payments in Victoria be terminated
-
How are damages calculated
-
How to spot chronic workplace bullies
-
Common law damages claim and duty of care of the employer
-
Federal Court ruled AAT required to explain why it preferred the IME’s evidence
-
Medical Panels must provide clear reasons – Supreme Court Vic
-
Workcover Certificates: Doctors must ensure they’re carefully worded
-
Injured worker denied recommended back surgery and at wit’s end
-
Change WorkCover. Give injured workers a fair go – Petition
-
Injured worker’s weekly pay cut off based on biased pain doctor’s report
-
Injured worker collapsed after “performance management” meeting – horror story
Forum for injured workers
Social Club Victorian Injured workers – SIC
**Next meeting April 2013**
Need a decent lawyer?
