The employer or insurance company is usually not required by law to offer a second opinion, but you can always ask for it anyway. The employee may, however, obtain a second opinion or additional medical treatment with any doctor at his/her own expense.
If an employee disagrees with the authorized treating physician’s impairment rating after being placed at maximum medical improvement (MMI), the employee is allowed to obtain a rating from an independent medical examiner at his/her own expense. This rating is admissible in a Benefit Review Conference/Alternative Dispute Resolution to help determine any permanent disability benefits that may be owed to the injured employee.