What Is an Independent Medical Exam in a New Braunfels Claim?

A plain-English look at IMEs: who orders them, what happens at the appointment, and how the report can affect your injury claim.

If you've filed an injury claim after a crash near New Braunfels, you may get a letter asking you to attend an "independent medical examination," often called an IME. It's a normal part of many claims, but the name is misleading, and a lot of injured people aren't sure what to expect or why it's happening.

An IME is a medical evaluation set up by the insurance company (or sometimes required in a lawsuit) to get a doctor's opinion about your injuries, treatment, and prognosis. It is not treatment, and the doctor doing the exam is not there to help you get better. Understanding that distinction upfront can save you a lot of confusion.

Who Orders an IME and Why

In most claims, the insurance company paying the bill requests the IME. That could be the at-fault driver's liability insurer, or in some cases your own insurer if you're using medical payments or personal injury protection coverage. If a lawsuit has been filed, the defense attorney may request one as part of the formal case.

The stated reason is usually to get a second medical opinion. In practice, insurers often use IMEs when a claim involves ongoing treatment, ongoing pain complaints, a recommendation for surgery, or a claim for future medical care. The exam gives the insurer its own doctor's opinion to weigh against your treating physicians' records.

It's Not Really "Independent"

The word independent refers to the fact that the examining doctor isn't one of your treating physicians. It does not mean the doctor is neutral or unaffiliated with the insurance industry. Many IME doctors perform these exams regularly and are paid by the insurance company or defense attorney who set up the appointment.

That doesn't automatically mean the exam or report will be unfair. But it's worth knowing who is paying for the visit and why, so you can approach the appointment clearly and honestly rather than assuming it's a routine checkup like one with your own doctor.

What Actually Happens at the Exam

An IME typically involves a review of your medical records, a physical examination, and questions about your accident, your symptoms, your daily activities, and your prior medical history. Some exams are brief; others last longer depending on the type of injury involved.

The doctor is building a record. Everything you say, and everything they observe about how you move, sit, or describe pain, may end up in a written report. This is different from a visit with a treating doctor whose main goal is figuring out how to help you recover.

How the Report Gets Used

After the exam, the doctor writes a report for whoever requested it. That report might agree with your treating doctors, but insurers often seek IMEs specifically in claims where they expect the opinion to differ, such as suggesting your injuries are less severe, unrelated to the crash, or already resolved.

That report can then be used to argue for a lower settlement offer, to dispute the need for ongoing treatment, or as evidence if the claim goes to a hearing or trial. It becomes part of the paper record insurers and, if necessary, a judge or jury will look at alongside your own medical records.

Preparing for Your Appointment

Show up on time, answer questions honestly, and describe your symptoms accurately without minimizing or exaggerating. Stick to facts: what hurts, when it hurts, what you can and can't do, and what your treating doctors have told you.

It's reasonable to bring someone with you to wait in the lobby, and to write down what happened during the exam afterward while it's fresh, including how long it lasted and what questions were asked. If anything about the exam felt off, note it, and mention it to whoever is handling your claim.

Do You Have to Attend?

Whether attendance is required, and what happens if you don't go, depends on your policy language, the type of claim, and whether a lawsuit has been filed. Rules and consequences vary by situation, so this is a question worth asking directly rather than guessing.

Skipping an exam without checking your obligations first can sometimes create problems for a claim, so don't ignore the letter. Get clarity on what's actually required before you decide how to respond.

This article is general information for the public, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Nothing here predicts an outcome or the value of any claim. Laws and filing deadlines differ by state and change over time — talk with a lawyer about your own situation. Attorney advertising.