Ricardo Nieves, M.D.
  
 Back Issues:

Issue #1: September 2012

The Medical-Legal Evaluation -
Make Sure You Get It Right

By: Ricardo A. Nieves, M.D.

A Medical-Legal Evaluation is a specialized evaluation to answer specific questions regarding a case in which there is work related injury or motor vehicle accident. Specific questions are often requested on Medico-Legal cases including covering of causation, apportionment, exacerbation, aggravation, diagnosis, appropriateness of diagnostic and treatment interventions, Maximal Medical Improvement (MMI), Impairment Rating and Work Restrictions.

Medical-Legal Evaluations can be in the form of an Independent Medical Evaluation, Impairment Rating Evaluation, Second Opinion Evaluation, Independent Diagnostic Study, Medical Record or Chart Review.

Education on medical-legal concepts is vital in the performance of medical-legal evaluations.

The physician conducting the medical legal evaluation should ideally have the following requirements:

  • Medical Training (MD or DO)
  • Residency Specialty training in an ACGME accredited program
  • Expertise in diagnosis and treatment of conditions being evaluated by way of training, board certifications and experience.
  • Board Certified Specialist
  • Training in medico-legal concepts, Impairment and Disability Evaluations through organizations such as American Academy of Disability Evaluating Physicians, American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, American Board of Independent Medical Examiners, SEAK, Inc.
  • Certification in Independent Medical Evaluations (CIME) by American Board of Independent Medical Evaluations (ABIME)
  • Certification in Impairment Rating and Disability Evaluations (CEDIR) by American Academy of Disability Evaluating Physicians (AADEP)
  • Fellow of American Academy of Disability Evaluating Physicians

Next month's issues of the NEWS will cover another specific concept related to medical-legal cases.

About the author:

Ricardo A. Nieves, M.D. is a Board Certified Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Specialist with Sub-specialty Fellowship Training and Board Certification in Pain Medicine. Dr. Nieves has over 20 years of experience in the medico-legal field with many Board Certifications including American Board of Independent Medical Examiners (ABIME), Certification in Evaluation of Disability and Impairment Rating (CEDIR), Certified Impairment Rater (CIR). In addition, Dr. Nieves is a Fellow of the American Academy of Disability Evaluating Physicians (FAADEP), Fellow of the American Association of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine (FAANEM) and Board Certified in Electrodiagnostic Medicine (DABEM). Dr. Nieves also has Board Certifications in Sports Medicine and Interventional Pain Management. Dr. Nieves has served on many boards and committees, examiner of specialty boards, publications, presentations and current teaching involvement with medical students, residents and specialty organizations. Dr. Nieves is well trained and experienced on Impairment Rating Evaluations utilizing the Sixth Edition AMA Guides (Wyoming and New Mexico) and the Third Edition Revised AMA Guides (Colorado). He also had previous training and experience with the Fourth and Fifth Editions of the AMA Guides while working in Pennsylvania.

To schedule Independent Medical Evaluations (IME’s), Impairment Ratings (IR), Deposition, Expert Witness, Medical Records Review, Emg/ Ncs (Electrodiagnostic Studies) or any other Medico-Legal or Diagnostic needs contact our Medico-legal coordinator, Kimberly, at 970-692-5550 or Fax your referral to 970-692-5561.

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