A letter arrives from the insurance company informing you that before your claim moves forward, you must be examined by a doctor you have never met, at a time and place the insurer chose. This visit is called an independent medical examination, or IME, and the report that comes out of it can influence whether your claim is paid in full, reduced, or challenged altogether.
Hollis Law Firm works with injured people across Kansas and Missouri to make sense of moments like this one, including what an IME actually involves and how it fits into a personal injury claim. Knowing what to expect before you walk into that exam room can make a real difference in how the rest of your case unfolds.
What Is an Independent Medical Examination?
An IME is an evaluation performed by a doctor selected and paid for by the insurance company rather than by your own treating physician. The insurer typically requests one after a claim has been filed, especially when the value of the case is substantial or when your injuries are expected to require ongoing care.
The examining doctor reviews your medical records, asks questions about your symptoms, and may perform a physical exam, but the goal of the visit is different from a regular checkup. The doctor is gathering information for the insurer, not treating you, and the resulting report becomes part of the evidence used to evaluate your claim.
How the Exam Can Affect Your Claim
The findings from an IME carry weight because insurers often use them to question the severity of an injury or argue that treatment is no longer medically necessary. A report suggesting your condition has improved more than your own doctor believes can lead to reduced settlement offers or a denial of continued benefits.
It helps to walk into the appointment prepared and aware of a few basic points:
- Attendance: Most insurance policies and state rules require you to attend a properly scheduled exam, and skipping it without good cause can jeopardize your benefits.
- Honesty: Answer questions accurately without exaggerating or minimizing your symptoms, since the exam is a snapshot in time.
- Documentation: Write down what happened during the exam soon afterward, including how long it lasted and what was asked or tested.
- Support: In many cases, you may be able to bring someone with you or request that the exam be recorded.
Keeping these points in mind will not change the outcome of the exam, but it does give you a clearer record of evidence to point to if the report does not match your actual condition.
Protecting Yourself After the Exam
Once the IME report is complete, the insurer may use it as grounds to dispute part of your claim, including gaps in treatment or ongoing symptoms that the examining doctor downplayed. This is often when adjusters move quickly to close out a file, and being prepared puts you in a stronger position.
Reviewing the IME report alongside your own medical records can reveal inconsistencies worth challenging, and knowing your rights when dealing with insurance adjusters is an important part of that process. Under Missouri law, Section 287.210.1 RSMo, an injured person may be required to submit to a medical examination at the insurer’s request, but the law also provides that a refusal is only penalized when it is deemed unreasonable — meaning your rights throughout the process are protected, as outlined by the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.
If a report seems to conflict with the severity of your injuries, that gap can become an important part of proving how damages are calculated in your case, and in some situations may point toward insurance bad faith.
How Hollis Law Firm Can Help
Facing an IME can feel like the deck is stacked in the insurer’s favor, but you do not have to sort through the process alone. Our team reviews IME reports line by line, compares them against your treatment history, and pushes back when a report understates your injuries or ignores relevant medical evidence, all while keeping you informed of where your case stands.
We bring a thorough approach built on years of experience helping injured people in Kansas and Missouri hold insurers accountable for fair treatment. If an IME has left you with questions about your claim, reach out through our contact form to more deeply discuss your options.
