Things To Know Before Completing Your FCE Test
Following an injury on the job in New York, NY, you could be asked to complete one or more functional capacity evaluation (FCE) tests. More than a doctor’s physical, an FCE can determine whether you receive benefits, the amount you get, and whether you must return to work. Each of these determinations can profoundly affect your health and personal finances.
If you’re asked to complete an FCE, there’s no need for you to prepare physically for the test. However, that doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can do to ease your anxieties and protect your financial and legal interests. Learning about these routine but significant evaluations can give you the knowledge you need to complete your test successfully.
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Things To Know Before Completing Your FCE Test
If you file for worker’s compensation benefits, there’s a chance your employer or a representative of their insurer will ask you to take an FCE. When this happens, it can help to keep the following key points in mind:
1. An FCE Helps Determine Your Limitations And Restrictions
A functional capacity evaluation assesses your ability to perform work-related tasks after a workplace injury accident. It consists of various physical tasks and challenges designed to imitate workplace activities you might face on the job. The list of potential actions you might be asked to perform include:
- Manipulating objects with your hands and fingers
- Moving from a seated to a standing position
- Reaching for objects above you
- Carrying loads of different weights
The test will also include a review of your medical history and a screening by the test administrator.
2. Your Test Will Take Several Hours To Complete
An FCE exam is a multi-day, multi-hour assessment. Each test is different, but yours could take up to eight hours to complete over the course of two days. Tell the person who will be driving you to and from your appointment about its anticipated duration. Dress in layers with comfortable clothing in case the room’s temperature changes during your evaluation.
3. A Licensed Professional Will Perform The Evaluation
The individual who conducts your FCE test will be a licensed medical professional, typically either a physician, physical therapist, or occupational therapist. However, nurses, chiropractors, and other professionals can be trained to perform these evaluations as well. So long as the person is properly credentialed, they can perform FCE tests.
4. You Can Choose Who Performs Your FCE
The FCE examiner is supposed to be a neutral third party who provides an objective opinion about your capabilities to you, your employer, and their worker’s comp insurer. To this end, while your employer may suggest an FCE evaluator, you get to choose who will perform the test. It’s essential that the person you select is trained and licensed to perform FCE evaluations.
5. FCE Tests Can Have Multiple Purposes
A functional capacity evaluation can have any of several objectives, depending on when it’s requested. Some employers may ask you to complete an FCE as part of their pre-employment screening process. Other times, you may have to take a test if your employer’s worker’s comp insurer questions the severity of your injuries and, therefore, the benefits you should receive.
You might also have to complete an FCE to determine whether you’ve reached the point of maximum medical improvement. In this context, your results will tell your employer and their insurer if additional treatment is warranted. It can also reveal whether you’re capable of returning to work and, if so, what restrictions you might have.
6. Honesty Is Important In Your FCE
Speak candidly with the FCE evaluator about the symptoms you’re experiencing both at home and while performing the test. However, don’t embellish or inflate the severity of your symptoms. Evaluators will reach their conclusions based on your medical records, the answers you give during your interview, and your performance on the FCE tests.
Your FCE evaluator will be able to tell if you aren’t being honest about your injuries and their symptoms. This could impair your credibility and affect the conclusion the evaluator reaches. Your worker’s compensation claim and the benefits you receive could be adversely impacted as a result.
7. You’ll Be Notified Of Your Results
You’re entitled to receive a copy of your FCE and its conclusions. Depending on your evaluator, you may be given the results on the day of your evaluation. The results are expressed as a numerical value that reflects your ability to perform various work-related tasks. The worker’s comp insurer will base its subsequent decisions on this number.
8. You Can Request A Second Opinion
Once you receive your FCE results, take time to understand them and their implications. If you disagree with the evaluator’s conclusions, you have the right to seek a second evaluation. If you choose to exercise this right, it’s essential that you take action sooner rather than later. The closer in time your second FCE is to your first, the more persuasive it will be.
Note that your worker’s comp insurer may handle competing FCEs in differing ways. Most often, the insurer will review each evaluation and determine which conclusion appears more reliable based on the evaluator’s credentials and the available objective evidence.
9. You Can Refuse To Take An FCE
Even if your employer or worker’s comp insurer requests that you take an FCE, whether you do so is ultimately up to you. If you don’t feel comfortable taking the test, you can communicate this to the insurer. However, this isn’t a decision you should make lightly. Refusing an FCE request can negatively affect your worker’s compensation claim and benefits.
If you’re reluctant to take an FCE, it’s a good idea to speak with an experienced worker’s comp lawyer about your options. Your attorney can review your situation and address the reasons for your hesitation. They can also explain what might happen to your benefits if you were to refuse.
Reach Out To Rosenbaum Personal Injury Lawyers Today
Although worker’s comp claims are meant to benefit injured workers, the process of getting the benefits you deserve can be frustrating. When you’re asked to perform an FCE, it can feel as though your employer doesn’t believe you and is trying to abandon their responsibilities to you. Remember, however, that FCEs are a routine part of many worker’s comp claims.
Hiring a skilled New York worker’s compensation claim lawyer from Rosenbaum Personal Injury Lawyers can help you navigate the claims process successfully. Your attorney will help you prepare for your evaluation and advise you on your options if the test results aren’t what you expect.
Contact our team today to request a consultation at (212) 514-5007.
