The aftermath of a personal injury accident comes with a host of questions. A common question is can the injury victim go to their own doctors, or does he/she have to go to the insurance company doctors? The answer is, it depends. It also depends on the type of case involved.

Car Accident Claims

Following a car accident you can go to whichever doctors you choose to go to. A few months after the accident, the insurance company that insures the car you were in at the time of the accident will send you notice to attend an appointment with one of their doctors.

This is called an Independent Medical Exam (IME). This is a mandatory appointment with a doctor chosen by and paid by the insurance company. If you don’t attend the exam the insurance company will assert you are not cooperating under the insurance policy. The doctor will write a report that likely says your injuries have healed and that you don’t need further medical treatment. The insurance company will use that report as a basis to stop paying for your medical bills.

Please note IMEs are not used in every single case, but are used very often by car insurers.

Workers’ Compensation Claims

Like with car accident claims, insurance companies frequently use IMEs to deny paying workers’ comp injury victims their benefits. The workers’ comp insurer selects and pays the doctor who will be examining the injured worker, and writing the report.

As with car accident cases, these appointments are mandatory. If an injured worker fails to attend the exam, the workers’ compensation insurance company can terminate the injured worker’s benefits.

Once the doctor’s report is available, the insurance company will likely use that to terminate benefits. Sometimes these reports are actually favorable and can help the injured worker’s claim. Like with car accident cases, they are used in many, but not all, cases.

Slip And Fall Accident Claims

Unlike with car crash and workers’ comp cases, IMEs are not typically used with slip and fall accidents claims unless the case in litigation. Regardless of what type of accident you’ve been in, contact Attorney Christopher Earley today for your free consultations.