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Psychiatric Fitness for Duty Evaluations in Los Angeles

Psychiatric Fitness For Duty Evaluations in Los Angeles and Orange County

Request a Medical Expert online or call 888.963.8933! There has been an increase in requests for Psychiatric Fitness for Duty Evaluations in Los Angeles and Orange County over the last several years. A Psychiatric Fitness for Duty Evaluation (FFDE), also referred to as a Psych Fitness for Duty Evaluation, is an examination conducted by a medical professional …

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Qualified Medical Evaluator (QME)

3 Key Reasons Newly Appointed QMEs delay their QME Practice

Every year, a few hundred physicians across the state of California have the desire to leverage their clinical expertise to become a Qualified Medical Evaluator (QME).  As a matter of fact, since October 2016, a total of 524 physicians have registered for the QME competency exam in hopes of becoming a QME.  However, only 181 …

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Pain Expert Witness for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)

Pain Expert Witness Needs for Claimant Injuries Related to Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) According to a well-known pain expert witness, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) is a condition that is not easily identifiable but often appears in personal injury cases.  CRPS can cause issues for both parties due to the general lack of understanding …

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October 17, 2018: DWC to Hold Pre-rulemaking Public Meeting on New Medical-Legal Fee Schedule

The California Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) will hold a public meeting on Wednesday, October 17 to discuss the structure of a new medical-legal fee schedule for the workers’ compensation system. This fee schedule is used to compensate physicians for examinations and reports that decide issues of compensability for work-related injuries. DWC posted a notice …

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Is Employer or Employee Knowledge of a Pre-Existing Disability Required for SIBTF Benefit Eligibility?

That was the question at the heart of Ferguson v. IAC (1958) 50 Cal.2d 469. Lester Ferguson was a 43 year old meat cutter who fractured his right hip at work in 1956. After the fracture, it was discovered that Mr. Ferguson suffered from progressive muscular dystrophy. This was not known to either Mr. Ferguson …

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What is Subsequent Injuries Benefit Trusts Fund (SIBTF)?

What is SIBTF? The SIBTF, or Subsequent Injuries Benefits Trust Fund, is a fund established and administered by the California Division of Workers Compensation. The purpose of the fund is two-fold: to encourage employers to offer employment to workers with pre-existing disabilities to encourage workers with pre-existing disabilities to seek employment SIBTF accomplishes these two …

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DWC Agrees to Enforce QME Rules ‘As Written’ to Settle Lawsuits

The California Division of Workers’ Compensation agreed to enforce medical-legal billing rules as they are written as part of a settlement with eight doctors who accused the agency of relying on underground regulations to deny their reappointment as qualified medical evaluators. Although the division didn’t admit to using regulations that weren’t properly vetted by going …

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DWC Approved QME 12 Hour Report Writing Course & Test Prep

With the April 2018 QME competency exam just a month away, it is time to reserve your spot for the QME 12 Hour Report Writing Course & Test Prep offered by DWC approved provider, California Medical Evaluators. Did you know that the pass rate for the October 2017 QME competency exam was just 56%!  A total …

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3 Most Common Mistakes Attorneys Make When Using An Expert Witness

Even the most experienced litigators need to be careful when retaining an expert witness. Properly leveraging your expert can make or break your case. There is no shortage of examples of when an expert can derail a case. For example, an expert psychiatrist, during the Andrea Yates trial, made a factual error during his testimony …

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