#8 What is the biggest mistake I can make if I’m going to an IME?

QUESTION: What is the biggest mistake I can make if I’m required to go to an Independent Medical Exam, IME? ​

ANSWER: Not informing your medical providers about the insurance company requiring that you attend an Independent Medical Exam (IME) and stopping your treatment are major mistakes and will likely affect your PIP benefits. The reason the insurance company is sending you to an IME is to minimize their expenses and the payments they make on your claim — not to help you with your recovery from your injuries. If you are concerned about your medical expenses, consult a personal injury attorney. They can provide valuable advice on continuing your treatment, communicating with the insurance company, and important decisions regarding attending the IME and your claim.

What is the biggest mistake I can make if I’m required to go to an Independent Medical Exam, IME? 

The biggest mistake you can make if the insurance company requires that you go to an Independent Medical Exam (IME) is not telling the medical providers you’re treating with as soon as you know about the IME — and not continuing to get the medical treatment that YOU know you need.

What’s most important in life is our health. It affects everything — our ability to take care of ourselves, our family, the work we do, and managing our other responsibilities. When the insurance company sends you to an IME, they’re not doing so because they’re concerned about your wellbeing.

They’re sending you to be examined by one of the doctors in their network to try to minimize the amount of money that they have to pay out for your medical bills.

Of course, they’re never going to tell you that, but that is the truth and the purpose of an Independent Medical Exam.  

If the insurance company is sending you to an IME, it’s critical to your recovery and your personal injury claim to continue getting the medical treatment you need.

You may wonder how you will pay for your medical treatment if the insurance company stops paying.

You may want to continue seeing your medical providers, but may also be concerned about the expense and how you’ll manage the expense for your treatment. This makes perfect sense.

If you are concerned about paying your medical providers — BEFORE you decide to stop getting the treatment, talk with an experienced personal injury attorney. There is no fee or obligation to have an initial consultation. The lawyer will ask questions so that they understand the unique circumstances of your personal injury claim and your injuries.

They will then provide you with the information you need to make the best decision for your circumstances.

Occasionally, we talk with someone who was injured in a car accident and who is scheduled to go to an IME, and after having a thorough understanding of their specific situation and circumstances we let them know that it’s going to be a challenge to force the insurance company to pay for their medical treatment.

We will advise that for their recovery and wellbeing, they should still go ahead and get the treatment they need, but that they shouldn’t count on their PIP carrier to pay their medical bills.

This doesn’t happen very often, but it does happen and our responsibility is to 1) listen carefully to the circumstances of each claim, and 2) provide our clients with an evaluation of their claim — based on our experience of what insurance companies will and won’t pay for, and our understanding of the way the personal injury claims process works.

We will always be clear, direct, and honest with anyone we talk with about what we believe they can expect about their specific situation and how best to navigate the personal injury claims process.

The reality is that 95% of the time we advise our clients to continue to get the medical treatment they need. We let them know that when they’re done treating we will communicate directly with the insurance company. We will advocate for them and enforce their rights that the insurance company needs to pay the medical bills for the injuries associated with the car accident.

What’s most important is that you make your health and recovery from your injuries from your auto accident your number one concern. Talking with a personal injury lawyer will provide you with the information you need to make the best possible decision. They will also advise you on what to anticipate from what the insurance company will and won’t pay for.

Whether you’re our client or not, we want to be a bridge of support for you.

We’ve developed a robust library of articles and videos organized into four topics which include our responses to the personal injury claim-related questions we’re asked most often.

• Top 10 Personal Injury Claim Mistakes to Avoid
• What You Need to Know About Your Claim
• How Are My Medical Bills & Wage Loss Paid
• How to Prepare for Your Independent Medical Exam

The articles provide advice and guidelines to help you navigate each phase of the personal injury claims process. Whether we represent you or not, we are passionate about helping you protect your rights, you receiving the medical care you need to recover from your injuries, and having the information you need to avoid mistakes that can harm your personal injury claim.