A Maryland Insurance Company Has Sent Me To See Their Doctor. What is an Independent Medical Exam [IME]?
Can a Maryland Insurance Company Send Me to Their Doctor?
An Independent Medical Exam, or IME, is usually a defense medical examination requested or paid for by the insurance side to generate opinions about causation, injury severity, treatment, disability, work restrictions, or whether you have fully recovered.
Despite the label, most injured people quickly learn that the exam does not feel “independent” in the ordinary sense. The doctor is generally being asked to evaluate your condition in a way that helps the carrier, employer, or defense challenge part of your claim.
The most common outcomes are predictable: the defense doctor says you were only modestly injured, are now better, your complaints come from something else, or the treatment being recommended by your own doctor is unnecessary.
TL;DR — What should you know about a Maryland IME?
- An IME is usually a defense exam: it is commonly arranged by an insurer, employer, or defense side to support a claim defense.
- The report is an opinion, not a verdict: the IME doctor can absolutely say you were not injured, were only mildly injured, are fully recovered, or do not need more treatment.
- Causation is a major battlefield: defense reports often blame degeneration, prior injury, age, stress, or some unrelated condition.
- Workers’ compensation and personal injury cases both use IMEs: the issues may include disability, work restrictions, surgery, causation, permanency, or ability to return to work.
- Your conduct at the exam matters: accuracy, consistency, and calm presentation matter more than argument.
What is an IME in Maryland?
An IME is a medical examination or medical-review process used by the defense side to obtain an opinion that may help deny, limit, or undervalue a claim.
In personal injury litigation and workers’ compensation litigation, it is common for the insurance side to retain a physician to examine the injured person or review the medical records. The purpose is straightforward: the defense wants a doctor with credentials who can give opinions that support its position on injury, causation, disability, work capacity, necessity of treatment, or permanency.
That does not mean every such opinion is false. Medical evidence is often complex. Reasonable professionals can disagree. But injured people should not misunderstand the process. The carrier is not paying for this exam because it expects a report that will strengthen your case.
Can an insurance company doctor say I was not injured?
Yes. A defense doctor can absolutely say you were not injured, were only modestly injured, are fully recovered, or that your current complaints were caused by something other than the accident or work event at issue.
That is one of the main reasons these exams are ordered. In many cases, the defense report will say one of a few familiar things: you had a minor injury that has resolved, your pain complaints are not connected to the subject event, your symptoms come from pre-existing degeneration, or the treatment recommended by your treating doctor is not reasonable or necessary.
In workers’ compensation matters, the report may also attack disability, work restrictions, causal relationship, or the medical need for surgery, injections, therapy, medication, or diagnostic testing. In a personal injury case, the same report may be used to diminish the settlement value, resist a demand, or support a defense at deposition or trial.
The IME report is evidence. It is not the final truth. But it is often the first polished piece of defense medical evidence the insurer uses to start lowering the value of the claim.
Why do insurers send people to IMEs?
Insurers use IMEs to generate medical support for defenses they already intend to raise.
- To argue the injury was minor and has resolved.
- To argue the condition is unrelated to the accident or work event.
- To blame symptoms on degeneration, aging, or a prior condition.
- To say surgery, therapy, medication, or other treatment is not necessary.
- To reduce claimed disability or work restrictions.
- To create leverage for a denial, a low settlement offer, or a defense at trial.
This is the practical reality: the carrier wants a doctor with credentials who can say something useful for the defense. Sometimes the report is mild. Sometimes it is devastating. Either way, it is usually part of the insurer’s broader effort to frame the case on its terms before your proof fully hardens.
What opinions usually come out of a defense IME?
| Common defense IME opinion | What the defense is trying to accomplish | Where it usually hurts the claim |
|---|---|---|
| You were hurt, but only mildly | Minimize seriousness from the outset | Settlement value, pain damages, credibility |
| You are fully recovered | Cut off ongoing damages and future care | Future treatment, permanency, wage loss |
| Your symptoms come from a pre-existing condition | Break causation | Liability for medical bills and injury value |
| The accident did not cause the condition | Disconnect the injury from the event | Entire claim or major parts of it |
| Surgery or other treatment is unnecessary | Avoid paying for expensive care | Medical specials, ongoing care, workers’ compensation benefits |
| Your disability is less than claimed | Reduce restrictions, time loss, or impairment | Lost wages, disability claims, permanency proof |
None of those conclusions should surprise anyone who has been through the process. These are the standard lanes in which defense medical reports usually travel. The carrier is rarely paying for a physician to come back and say your treating doctor was completely right about everything.
How do these exams show up in Maryland cases?
In Maryland, defense medical opinions can appear in different forms depending on the kind of case, the court, and the procedural posture.
In a litigated civil case, the defense may seek a formal physical or mental examination. In some smaller-value personal injury or first-party benefit matters, the defense may also rely heavily on records-review medical opinions and provider records rather than live medical testimony. In workers’ compensation litigation, defense medical exams are a familiar part of the fight over causation, treatment, disability, and permanency.
The point for the injured person is practical, not academic: whether the doctor examines you in person or reviews records only, the resulting opinion may still be used to attack your case. The form changes. The function usually does not.
What should I do before, during, and after the exam?
Approach the IME like a defense event, not a treatment visit.
Before the exam
- Know the purpose of the appointment and who arranged it.
- Review your basic history so your description of the event and symptoms is accurate.
- Understand the main disputed issues: causation, disability, treatment, surgery, or recovery.
- Do not assume the doctor already understands your case fairly.
During the exam
- Be truthful, accurate, and concise.
- Do not exaggerate and do not minimize.
- Do not volunteer long speeches or arguments.
- Describe symptoms and limitations the same way you have described them elsewhere if that description was accurate.
- Remember that the examiner is usually evaluating not only your body, but your presentation.
After the exam
- Write down what happened as soon as practical.
- Note the length of the examination, questions asked, tests performed, and anything unusual.
- Preserve any paperwork connected to the appointment.
- Expect a report that may not match your experience of the visit.
Many injured people walk out of these exams thinking the doctor barely listened, misstated the history, rushed the physical testing, or ignored the real problem. That reaction is common. The question later becomes how well the defense report stands up against the treating records, the timeline, the imaging, the function-based evidence, and the rest of the case.
Baltimore Personal Injury Lawyer Tip | The IME Report Is Not the Final Word
An insurance company doctor’s report is a piece of defense evidence, not the final decision on whether you were injured or what your Maryland case is worth.
These reports are often used to support a denial, a minimized valuation, or a low settlement offer. The real battle is how that report compares to the treating records, the objective findings, the symptom timeline, and the full damages proof.
Frequently asked questions about Maryland IMEs
What is an IME in a Maryland injury case?
An IME is usually a defense medical exam or medical review arranged by the insurance side. It is commonly used to challenge causation, severity, disability, or treatment rather than to provide you care.
Can the insurance company’s doctor say I was not injured?
Yes. That is one of the most common defense opinions. The doctor may say you were not injured, were only mildly injured, are fully recovered, or that your complaints come from something unrelated to the accident or work event.
Is an independent medical examiner really independent?
Not in the way most injured people assume. The examiner is typically retained and paid by the defense side. That does not automatically make the opinion invalid, but it does explain why the report often aligns with the carrier’s objectives.
Can a Maryland IME doctor say my surgery or treatment is not necessary?
Yes. That is especially common when treatment is expensive, ongoing, or disputed. The IME doctor may say therapy, injections, medication, diagnostics, or surgery are unnecessary, excessive, unrelated, or no longer needed.
Do IMEs happen in both personal injury and workers’ compensation cases?
Yes. Both types of cases use defense medical opinions. In workers’ compensation, the disputes often focus on causal relationship, work restrictions, disability, treatment authorization, and permanency. In personal injury litigation, the same opinions often drive valuation and settlement disputes.
What is the biggest mistake people make at an IME?
Many people treat it like a normal doctor visit and forget that it is a defense event. The better approach is to be accurate, calm, consistent, and careful, without arguing, exaggerating, or assuming the doctor is there to help build your claim.
How to prepare for a Maryland IME
- Identify the real issue. Know whether the defense is targeting causation, recovery, disability, surgery, or another part of the case.
- Refresh your memory. Be ready to accurately describe the event, the body parts involved, your treatment, and your current symptoms.
- Treat the appointment as evaluative, not therapeutic. The examiner is generally not there to provide treatment or advocacy.
- Answer accurately and briefly. Clear answers are usually safer than long, frustrated narratives.
- Do not perform for the doctor. Exaggeration and unnecessary dramatics can do real damage.
- Document the visit afterward. Write down what occurred, what testing was done, and what struck you as inaccurate or unusual.
- Compare the report to the real medical record. The value of the IME opinion often depends on whether it actually matches the documented history and findings.
Related Maryland injury and insurance pages
- How the Maryland Personal Injury Claim Process Works
- Contributory Negligence: How Insurance Companies Defeat Your Baltimore Personal Injury Claim
- What Is My Baltimore Personal Injury Case Worth?
- Baltimore Workers Compensation Attorney
Technical Information
Eric T. Kirk is a Baltimore Personal Injury Lawyer who handles Maryland motor vehicle injury litigation, insurance disputes, and workers’ compensation-related injury issues.
This page addresses Maryland independent medical exams, defense medical opinions, causation disputes, treatment-necessity disputes, disability disputes, and the use of insurer-retained doctors in injury claims.
Location relevance: Baltimore, Maryland. Related practice context: personal injury, car accident litigation, workers’ compensation disputes, insurance-defense medical examinations, and valuation disputes arising from contested injury claims.
Reduced Fee Program: available for qualifying personal injury cases only, not workers’ compensation matters.
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For over three decades, I have battled against the nation’s largest insurance companies, always endeavoring to ensure my clients receive the compensation they deserve. As lead counsel in thousands of cases across Maryland, New York, and Florida, I have recovered millions for clients whose claims were wrongfully denied and delayed. Whether denying fair compensation for a personal injury victim or denying benefits to a homeowner, Insurance companies employ policy exclusions, technicalities, and lowball offers to deny and defeat claims. They also hire very good lawyers to fight you in court. So should you. When an insurance company unfairly rejects a claim, I stop them.
