Legal Insights
Plain-language guides and case briefs on Philippine law — researched from the firm's law library of 184,000+ statutes, Supreme Court decisions, and agency issuances, and written so non-lawyers can understand and act on them.
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Navigating Seafarer Disability Claims: The Mandatory Third Doctor Rule in the Philippines
Understand the mandatory third doctor rule in Philippine seafarer disability claims and why company physician assessments prevail when the rule is ignored.
Seafarers Disability Claims Clarifying Material Concealment AND THE Third Doctor Rule
Permanent Disability for Seafarers: Final Assessment and the Limits of the Third Doctor Rule
When a company-designated physician issues only an interim assessment, the third-doctor rule may not apply and the seafarer may be deemed permanently disabled.
Seafarers Disability When Delayed Assessment Trumps Third Doctor Rule
When the company-designated physician fails to issue a timely final assessment, the seafarer's disability is presumed total and permanent.
Seafarer Disability Claims: The Mandatory Third Doctor Rule and Compensation
Learn how the mandatory third doctor rule under the POEA-SEC affects seafarer disability claims and compensation in the Philippines.
Seafarer's Right to Disability Benefits: The Indefinite Assessment and the Third Doctor Rule
A seafarer who abandons treatment cannot claim permanent disability benefits. The Supreme Court explains the 120/240-day rule and the third doctor rule.
Navigating Seafarer Disability Claims: The Mandatory Third Doctor Rule
When a seafarer's doctor and the company physician disagree on disability, the POEA-SEC's third-doctor rule is mandatory. Hernandez v. Magsaysay explains why.
The Burden of Proof in Seafarer Disability Claims: Clarifying the Third Doctor Rule
A seafarer who disputes a company doctor's fit-to-work finding must follow the POEA-SEC third doctor rule and present solid medical evidence, the Supreme Court reminds.