What is an Independent Medical Examination?

Personal injury cases can be stressful, complicated, and scary. Especially if you have never gone through a lawsuit or had to sue anyone before. One of the most important parts of the personal injury lawsuit process is being able to show the nature and extent of the injuries you’ve suffered. To do this, you’ll need to be able to show evidence, such as medical reports from the doctors who have examined your injuries.

However, your doctors will likely not be the only people who take a look at you. The other side in the lawsuit will also want to know the nature and extent of your injuries. They probably won’t want to rely on the word of your doctor. Therefore, to gather information about your injuries, the other side will have its own doctors exam you in an independent medical examination, or IME.

IME and Lawsuits

A person who files a personal injury lawsuit is known as a plaintiff. The plaintiff has a legal obligation to show that he or she has suffered an injury and that the defendant – the person the plaintiff is filing the lawsuit against – is legally responsible for paying for those injuries.

In any personal injury lawsuit, the defendant has the right to require the plaintiff to submit to an independent medical examination. This is true whether the plaintiff claims physical or psychological injuries. It’s also true whether you’re suing an individual, an organization, multiple individuals, or multiple organizations.

The Independent Medical Examination Process

The independent medical examination process is fairly simple. However, not only can the process be intimidating, the doctors who perform them may not always make a report that’s favorable to you or your cause.

Let’s take a look at an example. Let’s say you’ve been injured in a slip and fall accident at a local business. You fell downstairs that were covered in oil, suffering an injury to your hip that resulted in medical expenses and painful rehabilitation. You sue the business for the harms you’ve suffered.
The business requests that you receive an independent medical examination from a doctor of its choice. (This doctor is usually selected by the defense attorney and paid by the defendant’s insurance company.) They tell you where the doctor is located, schedule an appointment in advance, and compensate you for the time and expense you incur traveling to the doctor. Once you get there, the doctor exams you and your injuries. The process will be like any other examination but will focus on the injuries you have claimed you sustained as a result of your accident.

Talk to a Lawyer Before Submitting to an IME

If the thought of going to a doctor paid by the other party in your lawsuit gives you pause; it should. IMEs can be stressful, and the doctors who perform them can be intimidating. If you’ve been asked to submit to an independent medical examination, you should talk to your attorney about what you need to do to prepare and protect yourself.

Law, Hiring a personal injury attorney is not difficult. After all, you can go on your computer and find a dozen. It is to choose the most appropriate thing that takes a little bit of consideration. You will only have one chance to reach an agreement with the offending party. You will only get one chance to see their day in court. Going into battle with a mediocre lawyer is not an option. You can also represent yourself. But how to separate the good from the bad? These are the factors that are important when deciding which attorney to hire.
Relevant experience
Surely you don’t want to hire a personal injury attorney who has to learn the ropes to try to prove their case. To someone who has been there, is required because, so to speak. Perhaps not so much so just make it by the numbers, but certainly enough so they usually know what to expect. It is true that each case is unique, but there are a lot of similarities between the cases as well, and someone with relevant experience will know the tricks of the trade. These can be of great value when it comes to obtaining a satisfactory result.
Expertise
Is it possible to have years of relevant experience and not to be an expert? Probably. There are a lot of lawyers out there who have managed to coast through their careers without having to bother with perfecting their craft. One can detect them a mile away. This is the reason for the initial consultation is so important. It is not only an opportunity for a personal injury attorney to assess your case but as an opportunity to evaluate them also. It is usually very easy to tell when someone knows what they are talking about and not when they do. Keep your eyes open and go to a lawyer who knows what they are doing. More on this webpage
Selectivity
There is nothing wrong with advertising. In the background, a law firm is just like any other small business. Customers – they need to keep the doors open. That said, there is a difference between a personal injury attorney who is looking to help clients get what is yours and Hunter’s ambulance. Do not be offended if a good lawyer seems unsure about taking their case. In fact, unless you have a case so flagrantly obvious that opposing lawyers are practically throwing money at you, you should hear alarm bells if they are too ready to assume it.

We Can Help You Get Back Your life After an 18-Wheeler Accident

There are many personal injury attorneys in Texas. How can you decide which one is right to handle your case? Our highly regarded 18 wheeler accident attorneys recommend that you interview at least two or three lawyers as soon as you can before choosing the one that you want. And it is not unusual for family members to begin this task quickly if their loved one is fresh out of emergency surgery. Hiring an experienced attorney as soon as possible is an excellent first step that protects your family’s compensation rights.

Ask each prospective counsel about his track record for settling and litigating 18 wheeler injury cases. Find out what each attorney thinks the strengths and weaknesses of your case are. See if the prospects can provide you with the names of former clients whose cases were similar to yours. Ask if you can contact them. And then reach out to them and ask the same question you asked your prospective legal advocate and counsel. Make it a family project to be done quickly because time is short.

If you do all of these things to your satisfaction, then you’ll be able to hire an attorney whose experience in handling cases as yours gives you confidence, as well as peace of mind that this is the lawyer you can trust with your case. When accident victims retain the attorneys with our Law Firm, they receive the following services:

We ensure that our clients receive the medical care they require in order to recover from their injuries.
We conduct an in-depth investigation to determine the cause of the big rig accident. This includes asset checks of all defendants to make certain they can pay damages.
Our investigators gather evidence, including witness statements, photographs, forensic tests, and police reports that we will need in order to prove your claims.
We respond-to and send-out discovery requests.
We manage ALL the paperwork and phone calls related to your claims (and shield you from wily insurance adjusters).
We use our no-nonsense reputation to pressure the defendants into a settlement.
We act as mediators for our clients’ cases.
When necessary, we file the lawsuits and argue them aggressively to prove your damage case in front of a jury.
We fairly and accurately calculate all damages resulting from the car accident and demand fair compensation for you.

Our 18 wheeler accident injury Law Firm has decades of experience handling personal injury litigation in 18-wheeler accident cases. If you or a loved one has been in a trucking accident, we use our expertise to make sure you receive fair compensation for the injuries and pain you (or your family member) have suffered. We’ve helped deliver millions of dollars to hundreds of accident victims throughout the State of Texas. So if you or a loved one has been seriously injured in an 18 wheeler accident in Texas, your claim or case is in danger without an experienced legal partner to get the best compensation available to you. Call us today at 1(800) 862-1260 (toll-free), for a free consultation to find out all of the legal avenues available to you that lead to fair compensation. Stop allowing your family from being victimized again. You’re the only ones who can.

Our Main Office:

Carabin Shaw P.C.
630 Broadway St, San Antonio, TX 78215
210-222-2288