Does an Injured Worker Have to Release Medical Records?
Part of Undergoing a Defense Medical Exam Means Allowing the Evaluating Doctor to Review Medical Records. Facts: In Central Dauphin School District et al. v. WCAB (Siler), the employee was injured in the course of her duties as a janitor, hitting her knee, hip, elbow, arm and face when she fell on a floor being stripped of wax. She ultimately went off work, and filed a Claim Petition, which was granted by the WCJ, for injuries including fibromyalgia and neurological problems, as well as psychological components of her injury such as attention deficit and seizures. After the award, as part of its continuing evaluation of the case, the employer requested Ms. Siler undergo two defense evaluations, one by a neurologist and one by a psychiatrist. Ms. Siler attended both. During the psychiatric exam, she told the examiner that she had undergone psychiatric treatment in the past. The defense doctor advised the defendant that she could not issue an opinion as to Ms. Silers condition without re
