#10 What is the biggest mistake my patient can make if they are being are sent to an Independent Medical Exam, also called an IME?
QUESTION: What is the biggest mistake my patients can make if they are being sent to an independent Medical Exam (IME)?
ANSWER: Your patient may feel anxious about incurring medical expenses they don’t know how will be paid if their PIP carrier is requiring that they attend and threatening to stop paying their medical bills. Their first reaction may be to stop getting the medical treatment they need for their injuries. That is the biggest mistake they can make — both to have a full recovery as quickly as possible and for their personal injury claim. This is why it’s so important that when you first meet with a patient who has been injured in a car accident where their PIP policy is paying their medical bills to let them know that if they receive a notification from the insurance company requiring them to attend an IME to let you know immediately.
What is the biggest mistake my patients can make if they are being sent to an independent Medical Exam (IME)?
If your patient has been required to attend an IME by their insurance company and they stop getting treatment because they’re concerned that their PIP carrier is going to stop paying their medical bills, that is the biggest mistake they can make — both to have a full recovery as quickly as possible and for their personal injury claim.
Understandably, your patient receiving a notice that they have to go to an IME and that their benefits could be cut off can cause stress. Your patient may feel anxious about incurring medical expenses they don’t know how will be paid and their first reaction may be to stop getting the medical treatment they need for their injuries.
This is why it’s so important that when you first meet with a patient who has been injured in a car accident where their PIP policy is paying their medical bills to let them know that if they receive a notification from the insurance company requiring them to attend an IME to let you know immediately.
It is critical to their care and their claim to educate them on the IME process, how to prepare for the exam, and what your patient can expect during their appointment. The second reason is so you can help avoid them abruptly ending their treatment — and you don’t know why.
Stopping their treatment, of course, impacts their recovery, and it also harms their personal injury claim.
If your patient is informed and educated about the IME process at the beginning of their treatment with you, then them stopping their treatment without talking with you about why is less likely to happen.
You can help your patients from making this mistake — that will have significant impacts on their recovery and their claim, by simply talking with them about the personal injury claims process and letting them know what to anticipate. You can also suggest that they consult with a personal injury attorney. Talking with a lawyer who has experience with IMEs will help minimize their stress and anxiety. This type of attorney provides a no-fee, no-obligation initial consultation. During the meeting with your patient, they will ask them a variety of questions to understand the unique circumstances surrounding your patient’s car accident and their injuries. This will help them to advise your patient on their specific situation and about what to do about the IME they’ve been required to attend.
Even if they don’t need to hire a personal injury lawyer, they will leave the consult with really good information about how to protect themselves and their claim.
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.
