What is an IME?

“IME” stands for (Independent Medical Examination). Our office, however, does not call these exams IME’s for a simple reason, an IME indicates that it’s independent, however, in most cases, the doctor who is examining you at the IME is far from independent. They have either been hired by an insurance company or a law firm to defend against or mitigate the action you have brought for your injuries.

In our office, we refer to them as DME’s (Defendant Medical Examinations). Whether it’s a car accident, an injury on the job, a workers compensation accident, a construction accident or any type of personal injury, you may be required to attend medical examinations with either the insurance companies doctors and/or the defence attorneys doctors. It’s important to note that these examination(s) and the doctor’s testimony and report may be used AGAINST YOU at a later date, at trial and/or settlement.

It’s crucial that you have an experienced personal injury attorney that is experienced in dealing with these types of medical examinations so that they can give you the advice, direction and guidance you need and educate you as to:

• What the process involves?
• What you need to do?
• What you don’t need to do?
• What to expect?

We tell all our clients to be prompt for the appointment, being late may result in the office refusing to see you and marking that appointment as a “no-show” which can affect your benefits. Even though some insurance doctors are over-booked and you may have to wait a considerable time before seeing the doctor, be on time and be patient.

Why is it important to attend these exams?

 If you were injured in a car accident or truck accident, hit as a pedestrian or bicyclist, for example, you will be entitled to no-fault insurance coverage, which includes up to and including $50,000 worth of coverage for medical treatment, out of pocket expenses and time out of work. In order for the insurance company to continue to pay that coverage, they may require that you attend an exam with their doctors. If you fail to appear for that medical exam on two consecutive occasions, the insurance company will terminate your benefits and may refuse to pay for all of your medical treatment, leaving those bills for you to deal with. It’s important to note that generally, the insurance companies will reschedule these exams if it’s requested on time and for a valid reason and this is not counted as a no-show. It’s these nuances and pieces of information that makes it crucial for you to seek out an experienced and knowledgeable personal injury attorney.

If it’s a workers compensation case, where for example, you were injured at work in a construction accident or in a factory or store and you are receiving workers compensation benefits for your medical treatment and time out of work, in order to continue receiving those Worker’s Compensation benefits, you will be required to attend these medical exams with the Worker’s Compensation insurance companies doctor.

Finally, if a personal injury lawsuit is started and filed in the Court for your injuries, part of that process requires that you attend a medical exam or exams with doctors hired by the Defendant(s) involved. Those doctors will examine you and then provide a report related to the examination. As mentioned above, these examination(s) and the doctor’s testimony and report may be used AGAINST YOU at a later date, at trial and/or settlement.

If you’ve been injured in an accident, you need an experienced Personal Injury Attorney to guide you along the right path. Contact the Law Offices of Darren T Moore for a free consultation to discuss if you have a case – call us free at 917-809-7014.