Good information from NAIDW. The “Independent” part of the medical examination is a misnomer. One judge on the Nebraska workers compensation court refers to IMEs as DMEs — Defense Medical Examinations. Regardless, injured workers need to treat the examiner with courtesy and respect as the defense medical examiner can hurt a worker’s case. In Nebraska, workers can also be sanctioned by the court for failing to attend examinations. On the positive side, defense medical examinations sometimes confirm the opinions of treating doctors. When that happens, my experience is that it comes up in cases where the injured worker is severely disabled. If a DME confirms the treating doctor’s opinion, then this a positive development for an injured worker, leading either to a good award or settlement.
What is a Independent Medical Exam? (IME)
www.naidw.org
Independent medical examination An independent medical examination (IME) occurs when a doctor/physical therapist/chiropractor who has not previously been involved in a person’s care…