If your doctor orders you to have a Functional Capacity Exam but you feel you need more treatment, should you go?
This is a confusing thing for injured workers. The answer is YES!!! You absolutely should go. The Functional Capacity Exam (FCE for short) is an exam that measures the extent of your injury(ies) stemming from the work accident. This measures your new level of ability and what lasting limitations you have, if any, as a result of your injury(ies) from your work accident. This does not mean that you are done seeing the doctor nor does it mean that your case if over. It simply means that you have reached a point where the doctor believes it is appropriate for you to have your level of physical ability measured. This is also the time that, if necessary, the medical examiner can give you a rating on your loss of use (also called Permanent Partial Disability or PPD).
As a side note, one other BIG reason you should go to the exam is, if the insurance carrier is going to cover the cost of the exam and you refuse to go, they could claim that you are not cooperating with the doctor’s treatment plan and stop your workers compensation benefits! – Trust me folks, you don’t want to be in that situation!
If you are facing a Functional Capacity Exam and you are not sure what to expect, my office has a lot of helpful information on this that we would be happy to pass on to you at no charge; order my book, “The Ultimate Guide to Workers’ Compensation in Virginia” by clicking this link, or call our office today (804) 755-7755
The Injured Workers Law Firm is a Richmond, Virginia based firm solely focused on serving clients with workers' compensation claims in Virginia. If you have questions about your benefits or if you would like more information on the Virginia Workers’ Compensation system, order our book, “The Ultimate Guide to Workers’ Compensation in Virginia” , or call our office today (804) 755-7755.