What is an IME?

In the course of pursuing your worker’s compensation case, you may receive a request for an IME. This is an acronym for “independent medical examination.” But this term is misleading. The doctor conducting the examination will be chosen and paid for by the insurance company. There’s very little independent about these examinations! For more legal definitions like this, you can visit our YouTube channel.

Understanding Your IME

The purpose of an IME is to assess how severe your injuries are. Their diagnosis could affect the amount of compensation you receive. Given that in a worker’s comp case the insurance company will essentially be paying your medical bills, they have incentive to downplay the severity of your injury. The doctor they select will know this and act accordingly.

So keeping this in mind, you may be seeking to avoid an IME. But if you’re requested to attend one, it’s unfortunately mandatory. Refusing to attend will reflect poorly on your case and possibly give the impression that you’re not injured at all. The best thing you can do is be prepared. Be straightforward and don’t embellish your answers. This is the best thing you can do for your case.

How Malloy Law Can Help

The other important thing you can do to minimize the impact on your case is hiring a worker’s compensation attorney you can trust. Your attorney will also request an examination by a doctor of their choosing. It’s important for you to attend this exam so that your attorney has hard evidence of your injury to show the insurance company. This is a huge boon towards securing the settlement you are entitled to.

Malloy Law Offices is the home of the DMV’s worker’s comp specialists. Our legal team is experienced in quickly and successfully resolving worker’s comp cases and winning for our clients. We’ll fight for you while you focus on your recovery. Contact Malloy Law today for a free consultation.