An Independent Medical Examination or IME is an examination that the insurance company will send you to if they want their own, independent advice on the type of medical treatment or the type of off-work status that they need.  Most cases, the insurance company is looking to terminate your benefits.  It’s not a doctor that’s going to treat you.  It’s – we call it, on this side of the practice, an adverse examination.  They’re looking for inconsistencies in your medical records or in your presenting symptoms.  You need to be honest with the doctor and answer their questions, but you need to know that they’re not, in most cases, going to be on your side.

We talk to our clients about Independent Medical Examinations and what to expect as part of our regular practice because they are so important in a worker’s compensation claim.  Often times, the insurance company will send you to one when you have a surgery request pending.  There are timeframes that are involved in requesting an Independent Medical Examination when you need surgery.  And make sure that the insurance company sticks to those timeframes.