Personal Injury claims that are prepared with the intention of seeking compensation may require an independent medical examination to determine whether or not they are permanently impaired as a result of their injury or illness. IIME facilitates the relevant assessments with an approved medical specialist, who works to formalise information for an employer, insurer, legal firm and any other relevant parties.
Where an impairment has been identified, a specialist from our highly regarded medical team will prepare a permanent impairment assessment report and use indicating factors to determine an appropriate level of permanent impairment.
Our Permanent Impairment Assessment Services
For a compensable personal injury, a permanent impairment assessment is generally the last step in the entire claim process. These assessments ensure a claimant’s illness or injury is assessed to calculate their level of impairment.
The Role of Independent Medical Examiners
Our experienced team of independent medical examiners across a range of specialist practices are available to assist in conducting permanent impairment assessments and delivering detailed reports regarding the calculated impairment level and possible future care costs.
What Happens During a Permanent Impairment Assessment?
Permanent impairment assessments not only involve a clinical evaluation of the injured claimant, but they also assess medical history and any other available medical information. The assessor will then identify whether or not the claimant’s condition has reached maximum medical improvement, as well as other factors that need to be addressed. Maximum medical improvement has been reached when the claimant’s injury or illness cannot be improved further or has stabilised and is not expected to change, before a permanent assessment calculation can be performed.
Independent medical examiners are governed by impairment assessment guidelines, which help to ensure consistency across practices and states in Australia. Once all the relevant factors have been assessed, the medical professional conducting the permanent impairment assessment will prepare a report detailing the level of impairment, identification of pre-existing injuries or conditions and any other information the legal team and other parties would find relevant to the claim.
Frequently Asked Questions About Permanent Impairment Assessments
When it comes to permanent impairment assessments, there are many questions that are frequently put to our team. Some of these are detailed below:
What is Considered a Permanent Impairment?
A claimant is considered to have an impairment that is permanent when they have reached their maximum medical improvement. If there has been a permanent loss of body function in some way, shape or form as a result of the injury or illness, the claimant is classed as having a permanent impairment.
This form of impairment is essentially one that does not resolve and will not improve with further medical attention, treatment and/or rehabilitation.
