Back to our series on different factors that will effect your Illinois Workers’ Compensation Settlement.
One provision of the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act allows for the parties to have the injured worker examined for the purpose of an American Medical Association impairment rating.
This factor was added to law approximately 10 years ago.
The impairment rating provides a percentage of permanent partial disability for the injured body part.
It has developed that employers almost exclusively use these exams and submit reports as part of its case.
At one time it was thought this would have a large impact on settlements.
However, Arbitrators rarely use the impairments as a major factor in their decisions.
Possibly this is because the doctors are so conservative in their ratings that they seem out of line with typical Arbitrator and Commission findings.
This is good news for injured workers.
Yet, if the insurance company orders an exam for an impairment rating the injured worker must attend.
You should see an Illinois Workers’ Compensation attorney right away if are ordered to an exam with the insurance company’s doctor.
Questions about your work injury case? Feel free to contact Illinois Work Comp Attorney Dirk May at 309-827-4371.