Answered on Jan 15, 2014
The rule of thumb is generally 6 months per IME visit. If the company is sending you that frequently there could be a combination of several things going on, always number one for the insurer is (1) they want to get you off of benefits, (2) it could also be that you have a difficult to diagnose condition such determining if there is a shoulder/neck issue or some nerve condition. I tell my clients to go elsewhere as soon as they can for treatment, as I have little trust in panel doctors who get referred many of their patients by insurance carriers who want to limit their liability – although in fairness, I have seen some decent panel doctors. You can treat elsewhere and out of state, though there are some other consideration with that choice. You should probably talk to a workers compensation attorney as it sounds like you have a significant injury and something to lose by going it alone. The field is very nuanced and the is geared to protecting the injured work from the employer and even from his or her attorney (fees must be approved by a judge). Good luck.