I often explain to my clients that a major struggle in any workers’ compensation case relates to medical care. Georgia law gives employers the first opportunity to decide where an injured worker must go for treatment but this control is not complete:
- if your employer does not provide a valid “posted panel” of physicians you may be able to seek care with any physician and your employer and its insurer must pay for this care
- you can switch between one posted panel physician to another without prior permission
- you can request a change in authorized treating physician
- you can request a claimant’s IME
The claimant’s IME is a very interested feature of Georgia law. First enacted in 1990, Section 34-9-201(e) provides that an injured worker can demand an independent medical exam with a physician of his choice, paid for by the workers’ comp. insurance carrier. In my practice I use this “claimant’s IME” frequently to get a second opinion about questionable existing care or as evidence to support a request for permanent change in authorized treating physician.
Of course your right to a claimant’s IME under Georgia law is not absolute – I recently wrote an article about this topic on one of my web sites. Take a look if you are not happy with the quality of medical care you are receiving – and let me know what you think.
Jodi Ginsberg
Latest posts by Jodi Ginsberg (see all)
- The Role of an MRI in Your Workers’ Compensation Case - December 14, 2025
- How Workers’ Compensation Doctors Use Nerve Conduction Studies and EMG to Pinpoint Work Injuries - December 7, 2025
- When You’re Hurt on the Job in Georgia: Who Pays for the Emergency Room Visit? - June 23, 2025