Commonwealth Court Holds Relevant Prior Medical Records Must Be Provided To IME Physician

In Central Dauphin School District, et al. v. WCAB (Siler), the Claimant was successful in a Claim Petition to establish injuries including various musculoskeletal conditions including fibromyalgia. The description of injury by the WCJ also included "altered states of consciousness."

When the Employer pursued later IMEs with a neurosurgeon and psychiatrist, the psychiatrist requested pre-injury records of psychological treatment. The WCJ concluded these records were not discoverable, and the Board affirmed, reasoning the records should have been sought in the Claim Petition litigation.

The Commonwealth Court reversed. The Court noted Claimant’s Counsel did not argue that the records are not discoverable, just that they are irrelevant to the adjudicated diagnoses. The Court remanded for the WCJ to compel the discovery of records that are relevant.