Single or divorced, how long ago
<p>Work related injury, their doctor wants to know if I am single or divorced, how long ago was I divorced, how many children, how old are they, every surgery of my life.  I hurt my shoulder. Marital status is a moot point. A surgery 40 years ago has zero impact. They are fishing?</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Work related injury, <strong>their doctor</strong> wants to know if I am single or
  divorced, how long ago was I divorced, how many children, how old are
  they, every surgery of my life. I hurt my shoulder. Marital status is
  a moot point. A surgery 40 years ago has zero impact. They are
  fishing?</p>
</blockquote>

<p>All prior surgery is a pretty ordinary request and is relevant. It makes it possible to better determine the cause of injury and no surgery within 40 years is more good than bad to you.</p>

<p>Whether you are single or divorced, how many children you have and how old they are is only relevant if you are dead, because in that situation, it determines who has a right to bring a wrongful death action or receive worker's compensation benefits in connection with your death. Since you are not dead, and this is not your treating physician (who might want to have emergency contact information, or to explore family health history), it is hard to see how this would be relevant.</p>

<p>He may be attempting to explore if there is another potential source of payment for the injuries which is not appropriate to ask, or for witnesses who can be interviewed to confirm or dispute your injuries.</p>

<p>The only exception which could be relevant, which would make number of children and their ages relevant, would be if the injury would impact something that is also impacted by childbirth (e.g. a C-section).</p>

<p>When you got divorced, if you got divorced, is pretty much never relevant.</p>

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