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Mere Passage of Time Sufficient for IME

William Corkery

Source: Linda Davis v. WCAB (Woolworth Corporation)

Analysis

In Linda Davis v. WCAB (Woolworth Corporation), the Commonwealth Court addressed the issue of whether the “mere passage of time” constituted sufficient grounds to require a claimant to submit to an independent medical examination. The employer filed a Petition to Compel the claimant to attend an IME in March of 2005, alleging that the claimant’s last IME had occurred in 1997. There was no other evidence submitted, and the judge denied the employer’s request, finding that the employer had failed to present a reasonable basis upon which to compel the claimant to attend the IME. The Commonwealth Court found that Section 314 of the Act does not require the employer to present any reason for the request for an IME, and found that the mere passage of time was sufficient grounds to compel the claimant to submit to an IME.

What it Means For You

Section 314 of the Act does not require an employer to present any reason for the request for an IME. The passage of time can be sufficient grounds for the claimant to submit to an IME. Contact a C&W Workers’ Compensation attorney to determine your best strategy for obtaining an IME.

About C&W

Cipriani & Werner is a professional corporation providing civil litigation and workman's compensation legal services to clients throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey. If you have questions, feel free to contact William Corkery at (412) 563-2500.

You can also read more about the article's related practice groups:
Workers' Compensation