What is an IME?

If you’ve been injured working for a Texas Non-Subscriber employer, you may have received some treatment and then you’ve been asked to go see a doctor for an Independent Medical Examination or an IME. What is an IME? First of all, it’s not INDEPENDENT in any sense of the word. It’s the set-up. This is a Defense ordered and payed medical examination where essentially you are going to see a “doctor” for the first time and he is going to answer some questions asked by the insurance company. For example, whether your injury is related to the work accident or whether, at this stage in your treatment, you need any further treatment. It’s no surprise that usually the answer to both of these questions is going to be “NO”!  Remember that insurance companies are always going to do what’s best for the company by delaying your ability to get a true diagnosis. You are not the client of the insurance company and so don’t expect that that the insurance company is taking into account your best interest.

We believe in a straightforward approach to legal representation. That's why I ensure our clients fully understand that we work on a contingency fee basis. Simply put, if we don’t win your case, you don’t pay us a dime." - Accident Attorney Hector L. Sandoval

After you see the IME doctor

You typically will receive a letter with the report informing you that, based on the good doctor’s examination, your benefits have been terminated. You may or may not be sent back to your treating doctors at the clinic so that you can now get fully released back to work even though you may still be experiencing pain and discomfort. Again, this is all part of the plan to delay and dismantle your case against your employer of failing to provide you with a reasonably safe workplace. The IME doctor plays an important role in setting the defense of your case and you need to understand that he is not trying to help you, no matter what he tells you during the examination. What he tells you and what shows up in the report are usually not going to be the same.

If you’ve been injured working for a non-subscriber, don’t contribute to the delay you’re already experiencing in your case any further, speak with an experienced Texas work injury lawyer and make sure your case is moving swiftly through the process. This will ensure that you make a swift recovery and get well sooner. The more you allow them to delay, the harder it will be on you and your family down the road.

When you are ready to act, call Texas Work Injury Attorney Hector L. Sandoval at (346) 347-7777 or visit us on the web at https://sandovalpllc.com/. Call and put Sandoval to work for you!