After a few years of being on federal workers’ compensation, you may be asked to undergo a second medical opinion, also known as an adverse referee opinion. This is done regularly by OWCP, and failure or refusal to comply with this request may result in the suspension of your benefits until you accept to see their appointed physician.
Now, OWCP likes to count on a few select physicians to carry out these exams on a regular basis. This keeps everything streamlined and stress-free on their part, but at your expense. The physicians that you may be asked to see for your exam may have a history of ruling in favor of OWCP, making it a losing game. This makes it vital for you to do your due diligence before consenting to these exams.
Here’s a helpful list of what you should prepare:
- Look for the physician’s updated resume
- Look for any infractions or red flags by performing a simple Google search with their name
- Prepare a Statement of Accepted Facts (SOAF)
This initial research will give you a rough idea of what you may be up against, and may help you in getting an appeal should your benefits be cut off for one reason or another. When it comes to the SOAF, make sure not to write up leading questions that will influence the physician’s answers in one direction because it would look biased.
Before Going for Your Second Opinion Exam…
As a rule of thumb, always let OWCP know about the fact that a physician has a history of ruling against claimants before consenting to and going for the examination. In addition, make sure to validate the accuracy of your SOAF so that should they rule against you, you can use the information therein to contest their findings. Essentially, the more inaccuracies, lawsuits or questionable past decisions the doctor has racked up, the better your chances will be for an appeal.
Legal Help for Federal Workers’ Compensation Cases
Because this may require a lot of resources and research, it is best to work with a good federal workers’ compensation lawyer in order to collect compelling evidence against a federal government appointed physician. In addition, should your exam go in OWCP’s favor, you’ll have a better chance of having it reinstated if you work closely with a good federal workers’ compensation law firm. We’ve done this before, and we’d like to invite you to call us today on 1-855-233-3002 for your free and confidential consultation. Thanks for choosing us, and we look forward to hearing from you.
