Name

Meade v. Southworth-Milton

Insurance Company

Sentry Insurance Company

Date Decided

March 26, 2013

Panel Members

Timothy Collier

Elizabeth Elwin

Glen Goodnough

Categories

Board IME

Tags

IME§312 Psychological Impairment Permanent Impairment

File Size

140 KB

Download

Summary from the Troubh Heisler Attorneys

Richard Meade was injured at work in 2003, and a prior decree found he had 10% physical permanent impairment from his injury. He then tried to add psychological PI to put him above the threshold for lifetime partial incapacity benefits. In 2009, Dr. Carlisle Voss had estimated his psychological PI at 7%, although Dr. Voss had conceded that Mr. Meade had not yet reached maximum medical improvement. A subsequent §312 independent medical examination, however, found that he had reached MMI and had 0% psychological PI from his injury, and Hearing Officer Sue Jerome adopted that opinion.

Meade appealed, arguing "clear and convincing evidence to the contrary" in Dr. Voss's report, but the Appellate Division panel upheld her decision. The panel held that a HO Jerome could reasonably have concluded that it was not "highly probable" that the record did not support the IME findings.

Page |