If you have been injured and had to hire a personal injury attorney to help you get the money you deserve because of your injuries, your attorney will need to have a copy of your medical records. If you have orthopedic injuries, your attorney may also send you to an independent orthopedist to evaluate your injuries. This would be a doctor you wouldn't have seen before and one with which you don't have any kind of relationship. There are several reasons why your attorney might send you to an independent orthopedist for an evaluation. 

Corroboration

One reason is that the orthopedist will corroborate what your personal doctor said about your injuries. Having a wholly objective doctor look at your injuries and say that they are the same as what your doctor says will lend more weight to your case. This will make it easier for you to get what you deserve. It's much harder to dispute a doctor that has never seen you before and has no existing relationship with you. The doctor that you are sent to see might be one that your attorney has worked with prior, and they may trust what the doctor has to say. 

Further Information

Another reason your attorney may send you to an independent orthopedic evaluation is that they need to have more information about your injury and the extent to which it affects your life. If the doctor you saw could only give a basic overview, the doctor your attorney sends you to may be more of a specialist. Being a specialist will let the ortho doctor give your attorney all the extra information they may need. For example, if you hurt your knee, the orthopedic doctor you first saw may only have diagnosed you with an injured knee. The orthopedic doctor that your attorney sends you to may be able to go more in-depth and do further exams and tell you exactly what level of injury you have sustained and how long any recovery may take. That information won't only help you when you are trying to get better, but it can also help your attorney while they are trying to decide how big your settlement should be. 

If you have been injured at work, you may have hired an attorney to help you get the money you are entitled to after your injury. Your attorney may decide that you need to see an independent orthopedic evaluator so that they can have the best possible chance to help you when your case. 

To learn more about independent orthopedic evaluations, contact a professional near you.