If enjured at work Like if you fall and have a shoulder injury after the surgery can the doctor lie about the percentage of your disabily for the employer not to compensate you.
No. A doctor may not lie in a workers compensation case. There are very different ways of determining disability ratings according to the AMA Guidelines. Different doctors give different ratings often. Company doctors tend to give lower ratings and doctors whom your attorney refers you to may give a higher rating. However, I would suggest you get an independent rating from a new doctor. We can help you with that.
Certainly, a doctor is not supposed to lie in any context. If you were to ask two attorneys--one who does claimants' work and another who does insurance companies' work--whether or not doctors do lie, however, their answers may vary.
That being said, the AMA Guide used for figuring impairment ratings is supposed to require objective criteria, but the ratings given can vary, which indicates there are subjective components to ratings, too.
Of course a doctor should not lie for either party in a workers' compensatoin case. However, there is no set amount for disability ratings. Although all doctors are supposed to use the AMA Guides, 6th edition, to determine disability ratings, ther can be differences in the interpretation of the guidelines.
Certain doctors are considered to be insurance oriented while some are considered to be injured worker oriented. The amount of the ratings is one of the factors that lawyers use to help determine if the specific doctor is one they want to use on a case.
