All About Independent Medical Examinations (IME’s)

In workers’ compensation claims, and personal injury cases that go to litigation, the insurance company will often schedule you for an IME. That stands for “Independent Medical Examination.” This explanation will help you understand and prepare for an IME. You can review it several times if you need to. Of course, these instructions have to be very general. Your case may have special issues we need to discuss. Please call me if you have any questions or concerns after reading this explanation. What is an IME? The IME is a medical examination by a doctor hired by the insurance company. It is used by the insurer to double check the requests of your treating doctor. Since they are paying for your medical care, they have a legal right to make sure your care is causally related to the accident, and medically necessary to help you recover.