Workers' compensation doctors-- especially network doctors-- are notoriously biased toward insurance carriers. So I am often asked about whether evidence procured outside the WC system is still admissible in a WC case.
The answer is it is. It can & should be used by a claims adjuster in paying benefits. Some adjusters will act like they don't have to consider it but any judge will if it goes to a hearing. So they can deny it as a matter of claims handling but that's more an attitude problem than a problem with the medical (although often the outside doctors won't document work status as diligently and carefully as WC docs will).
The employee will still have to submit to any state-ordered medical exams (e.g. for impairment rating) and those will typically trump what the non-workers compensation doctors say about the injuries/disability status. What your personal doctor says about the impairment rating is going to be pretty much worthless. Other than that, going outside the comp system to get medical care does not prejudice any further rights to WC benefits or medical care. If you are going outside the workers' compensation system to see a doctor under a letter of protection or group health policy, you definitely want to know your policy limits on the claim because it gets tricky when you have a WC lien with statutory priority and your other providers or insurance competing for the same dollars.
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