Attorney's Improper Contact With IME Warrants Sanctions

The Mississippi Court of Appeals upheld sanctions against an employer’s attorney for improperly contacting an independent medical evaluator to request a change in the doctor’s report. Case: Hawthorne v. Mississippi State Hospital, No. 2022-WC-00040-COA, 05/02/2023, published. Facts: Charles Hawthorne worked as a police officer for the Mississippi State Hospital. He injured his knee while restraining an irate patient in March 2018. After conservative treatment failed to improve the condition of Hawthorne’s knee, Dr. Jason Craft performed surgery. Craft assigned Hawthorne a ...