#2 Should my patient go to the Independent Medical Exam, which is also called an IME?
QUESTION: Should my patient go to the Independent Medical Exam, also called an IME?
ANSWER: When the PIP carrier requires our client to attend an IME, 95% of the time, we advise our clients to go. Based on the Oregon PIP statute your patient Is required to cooperate with the PIP carrier. If your patient doesn’t attend the IME they’re actually in breach of their PIP contract. The likelihood that your patient will prevail in a dispute with the PIP carrier if your patient doesn’t attend the IME is highly unlikely.
Should my patient go to the Independent Medical Exam, also called an IME?
When the PIP carrier requires our client to attend an IME, 95% of the time, we advise our clients to go — however, there can be certain factors when we would advise our clients not to attend the exam.
The primary reason we counsel our clients to attend the IME is based on the Oregon PIP statute. Your patient Is required to cooperate with the PIP carrier.
If your patient doesn’t attend the IME they’re actually in breach of their PIP contract.
The likelihood that your patient will prevail in a dispute with the PIP carrier if your patient doesn’t attend the IME is highly unlikely.
If your patient does attend the required IME, nine times out of ten the IME report, written by doctors who are hired by the insurance company will justify the insurance company stopping payments for your patient’s medical treatment.
Even though this is the likely outcome, we still advise our clients to attend the IME because 95% of the time we’re successful in having the PIP carrier pay all of the medical bills that they should have paid If the IME wasn’t ordered.
If your patient has been sent a letter by the insurance company requiring them to attend the IME and they’re trying to decide if they should go or not, we strongly recommend that they consult with a personal injury attorney. The lawyer will offer a no-fee, no-obligation, initial consultation. During their meeting with your patient, the attorney will ask a number of questions to help them understand the specifics and details about your patient’s accident and injuries. They will then be able to offer your patient good advice on whether they should go or not to the IME, and what the likelihood of the PIP carrier ultimately paying the bills for their medical expenses will be.
We’re here to be a bridge of support for you and your patients.
We have developed a robust library of information for your patients who have been injured in an accident, which can be found in the INJURED? START HERE portal on our website.
There are 40 topic-focused articles, with accompanying videos, organized into the four categories that include the personal injury claim-related questions we’re asked most often, which include:
- 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
Each article provides advice and guidelines to help your patients navigate each phase of the personal injury claims process. Whether we represent your patient or not, we are passionate about them knowing how to protect their rights, get the medical care they need, and avoid the mistakes that can harm their personal injury claim.
Each article provides advice and guidelines to help your patients navigate each phase of the personal injury claims process. Whether we represent your patient or not, we are passionate about them knowing how to protect their rights, get the medical care they need, and avoid the mistakes that can harm their personal injury claim.
Additionally, if it would be helpful to have the information we feature on our website available in your office to pass along to your patients, we’ve developed brochures for each of the four article series -- in both English and Spanish that we’re happy to send to your office. Please complete the form below and we’ll get them out to you promptly.
