#8 Should my patient talk to a personal injury attorney about their Independent Medical Exam, also known as an IME?
QUESTION: Should my patient talk to a personal injury attorney about their Independent Medical Exam (IME)?
ANSWER: The intent of sending your patient to an IME is to provide the PIP carrier with a report justifying stopping the payment of your patient’s medical bills and is an adversarial move by the insurance company. For this reason, it’s in your patient’s best interest to consult with an experienced personal injury attorney to learn how to protect themselves and preserve their PIP benefits. This type of lawyer provides no-fee, no-obligation consultations. The attorney will ask your patient a number of questions to understand the details about their car accident and injuries. This will help the lawyer to advise your patient on their specific situation and circumstances.
Should my patient talk to a personal injury attorney about their Independent Medical Exam (IME)?
If your patient received notification from the insurance company that they’re required to attend an IME, that means the insurance company intends to discontinue your patient’s PIP benefits. The doctor doing the exam is chosen from a network of doctors who are hired by the insurance company — so there is nothing ‘independent’ about the IME.
The purpose of the exam is to provide the PIP carrier with a report that justifies stopping your patient’s benefits.
Because of the intent of the IME and the potential impact on your patient’s medical bills no longer being paid by the PIP Carrier — it is an adversarial move by the insurance company. For this reason, it is in your patient’s best interest to consult with an experienced personal injury attorney to learn how to protect themselves and how to preserve their PIP benefits. This type of lawyer provides no-fee, no-obligation initial consultations. During your patient’s meeting with the attorney, they will ask your patient a number of questions to understand the details about their car accident and injuries. This will help the lawyer to advise your patient on their specific situation and circumstances and how to prepare for their IME.
The attorney will explain to your patient what to expect during the IME appointment, counsel them on what to do to prepare for the exam, and how to respond to the questions the IME doctor asks them. Even if by talking with the attorney, it is determined that your patient doesn’t need to have a lawyer represent them, they will leave the consultation informed and educated about the IME process and what they need to do to arrive prepared at the exam.
If your patient is hesitant about meeting with a lawyer, you can gently remind them that there is no cost and that they are not required to hire the attorney to consult with them.
You can also let them know that the attorney has extensive experience with IME’s and they’ll be able to provide information that will help your patient protect themselves and increase the odds of protecting their benefits.
You can also refer them to the IME series of articles and videos on the Bridge City Law website that we developed specifically for people who have been injured in an accident, and who are required to attend an IME. If they are absolutely opposed to consulting with an attorney, the 10 articles and accompanying videos will help them to better understand the IME process and how to prepare for their exam.
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.
