May 6, 2025
What Is an Independent Medical Exam (IME), and How Might it Affect Your Workers’ Compensation Case?
Nate Hansford
When you’ve been injured on the job, filing a workers’ compensation claim can be the lifeline that keeps you financially afloat while you recover. However, as many workers quickly learn, the process is rarely straightforward, and one of the most confusing and often intimidating parts is being sent for an Independent Medical Examination, or IME.
At Hansford McDaniel – Workers’ Compensation Attorneys, we understand how overwhelming the workers’ compensation process can be, especially when your health and livelihood are on the line. That’s why we guide injured workers through every stage of the process, including preparing for and responding to IMEs, with skill, experience, and care.
Let’s break down what an IME is, why it matters, and how our firm can help protect your rights and maximize your claim.
Understanding Independent Medical Examinations (IME)
What Is an IME?
An Independent Medical Examination (IME) is a medical evaluation requested by the employer’s insurance company. It’s usually performed by a doctor chosen by the insurer, not your treating doctor, and is intended to provide an outside opinion on your injury, diagnosis, treatment, or disability status.
While the name suggests “independence,” it’s essential to recognize that IMEs aren’t always impartial. The doctor performing the IME is typically hired and paid by the insurance company, and their findings may be used to dispute or reduce your claim.
Why Are IMEs Required For a Workers’ Compensation Claim?
Insurance companies may request an IME at various stages of a workers’ compensation claim. The stated goal is to obtain an objective, third-party medical opinion about your injury, but in reality, it often serves the insurer’s interest in limiting liability and reducing payouts.
Common reasons the insurance company may ask for an Independent Medical Examination:
- Confirming the extent of your injuries: The insurance company may want to verify whether your reported symptoms and limitations match the medical evidence and are consistent with the workplace incident.
- Assessing your ability to return to work: If you’ve been receiving temporary total disability benefits, the insurer may request an IME to determine whether you’re fit to resume work, either full duty or light duty, even if your treating physician says otherwise.
- Evaluating whether your treatment is appropriate: Insurance companies may question the necessity of certain procedures, therapies, or medications. An IME can be used to dispute ongoing care, potentially halting coverage for medical treatment you still need.
- Determining if you’ve reached maximum medical improvement (MMI): Reaching MMI means your condition is unlikely to improve further. Insurers use this designation to limit or end benefits. However, it’s often subject to medical interpretation, and IME doctors may declare MMI prematurely, halting your workers’ compensation benefits too early.
- Challenging your current doctor’s findings: If the insurance company believes your treating physician is biased or overly sympathetic, they may order an IME to get a report that supports their goal of minimizing the claim.
While the IME is framed as a neutral evaluation, the physician conducting it is typically selected and paid by the insurance company, raising legitimate concerns about impartiality. It’s not uncommon for IME reports to downplay injuries, ignore ongoing symptoms, or contradict your own doctor’s conclusions.
Unfortunately, these IME reports can be used by the insurance provider to justify:
- Delaying approval for treatment or surgery
- Reducing wage replacement benefits
- Disputing your work restrictions
- Denying the claim entirely
Because of the weight these IME doctors’ reports carry, especially during hearings or negotiations, understanding how IMEs are used and being prepared for them is essential to protecting your case. That’s where the experienced team at Hansford McDaniel steps in to guide, support, and advocate every step of the way.
How Independent Medical Examinations May Impact Your Workers’ Compensation Claim
The results of an IME can carry weight in your workers’ compensation case. These examinations are often treated as authoritative by insurance companies and can dramatically influence the outcome of your claim. If the IME doctor concludes that you’re not as injured as your treating physician claims, or believes you can return to work sooner than expected, the insurance company may use that opinion as justification to:
- Terminate your benefits
- Reduce your weekly wage payments
- Deny coverage for ongoing treatment
- Argue against a permanent disability rating
Even if your doctor continues to support your diagnosis and restrictions, an unfavorable IME report can be used to challenge your credibility or dispute the connection between your injury and your job. These reports are frequently cited in hearings, mediation, and settlement discussions, which means they can impact both the short-term and long-term outcome of your case.
That’s why it’s critical to take IMEs seriously and to have experienced legal representation guiding you through the process. At Hansford McDaniel, we understand the tactics insurers use and know how to prepare our clients for every step, ensuring their voice and medical reality aren’t ignored.
Hansford McDaniel Workers’ Compensation Attorneys’ Approach to IMEs
At Hansford McDaniel – Workers’ Compensation Attorneys, we’ve handled thousands of cases involving IMEs. We don’t just prepare our clients, we actively protect them before, during, and after the exam.
How We Prepare You for an IME
Preparation is key. Our legal team:
- Reviews your medical records to ensure consistency across documents
- Helps you understand what to expect during the exam
- Advises you on what to say, and what not to say
- Provides tips on maintaining credibility without oversharing
- Ensures you don’t unknowingly say or do anything that can be used against your claim
We also inform you of your rights during the exam, including the right to:
- Bring a representative or witness (in some cases)
- Request a copy of the IME report and medical records
- Challenge the findings, if necessary
Avoiding Common Pitfalls
Some of the biggest mistakes workers make before or during an IME include:
- Understating or overstating pain
- Making inconsistent statements
- Not disclosing previous injuries (which can backfire)
- Failing to report new symptoms honestly
Hansford McDaniel attorneys know how to anticipate these issues and guide clients in a way that keeps their claims strong and protected.
Your Legal Rights and Protections During an IME
You aren’t powerless in the face of an IME. Georgia workers’ compensation laws provide certain rights that your employer’s insurance company must honor:
- You must receive reasonable notice before an IME is scheduled
- The exam must be conducted by a qualified IME physician
- You’re entitled to a second opinion from an independent medical evaluation, under some circumstances
- Your treating physician’s opinion is still valid and can be weighed alongside the IME
If the IME is used to wrongfully delay or deny your benefits, Hansford McDaniel – Workers’ Compensation Attorneys is prepared to challenge those actions swiftly and effectively.
Next Steps After the IME
Once your physical examination is completed, the examining doctor will issue a report with their medical opinions. The insurance company may use this report to make decisions about your claim.
What We Do Next
Hansford McDaniel – Workers’ Compensation Attorneys immediately:
- Review the IME report for accuracy and bias
- Compares the IME doctor’s opinion to your treating doctor’s reviews and your medical records
- Identifies any contradictions, omissions, or unfair conclusions
- Builds a strategy to support or dispute the report, depending on its contents
In some cases, we may arrange for additional medical evaluations to rebut the IME. We will also prepare for hearings, depositions, or appeals, as needed, to defend your right to benefits. This includes reviewing your medical records in detail and ensuring that the IME doctor hasn’t overlooked key facts related to your workplace accident. By building a clear, evidence-based narrative, we strengthen your case and protect your claim from unfair denials.
Common Challenges and How We Overcome Them
IMEs are often used to minimize payouts rather than to provide objective insight. Insurance companies rely on IME doctors and these examinations to justify limiting or denying benefits, often by using medical opinions that downplay the severity or cause of a worker’s injury. But that doesn’t mean you’re stuck with the result.
At Hansford McDaniel – Workers’ Compensation Attorneys, we’ve seen these tactics time and again, and we know how to fight back effectively.
Some of the IME challenges we help injured workers overcome are:
IME Reports that Contradict the Treating Doctor
It’s not uncommon for IME doctors to issue conclusions that directly oppose your own doctor’s findings. They may claim you’re ready to return to work, dispute the need for surgery, or suggest your pain isn’t as limiting as described. We counter these reports by obtaining second opinions, expert affidavits, and a detailed comparison of medical history to reinforce the credibility of your treating provider.
Insurance Companies Using IMEs to Cut Off Benefits
Some insurers rely on IME reports to justify terminating wage replacement or medical benefits, even when treatment is ongoing. In such cases, we act swiftly to file motions, request hearings, and challenge these decisions before the workers’ compensation board to reinstate rightful benefits.
Disputes Over Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI)
Reaching MMI doesn’t mean you’re fully recovered; it simply means your condition has stabilized. IME doctors may declare MMI prematurely to stop further medical care or reduce weekly benefits. We work to refute premature MMI designations by coordinating evaluations with trusted specialists who can show that further recovery or additional treatment is still necessary.
Questions About Whether Injuries Are Work-Related
IMEs are sometimes used to argue that your injury wasn’t caused by a workplace incident but rather by a pre-existing condition or a non-work-related event. In these cases, our legal team collects witness statements, incident reports, job duty documentation, and expert medical reports to establish a clear link between your job and the injury.
Conflicting Disability Ratings
If an IME physician gives you a lower impairment rating than your treating doctor, it can reduce the value of your claim. We’ve successfully challenged low ratings by presenting independent functional capacity evaluations and vocational assessments that reflect the true extent of a client’s limitations.
Strategic, Evidence-Based Advocacy
Our legal team knows how to bring medical evidence, expert testimony, and strategic legal arguments to the table to fight for what’s fair. We don’t simply accept the IME report at face value; we scrutinize it for bias, gather evidence of additional medical treatment, inconsistencies, and factual errors, and then we build a strong counter-narrative using every resource available.
We also work closely with your treating physicians to clarify medical opinions and ensure that your ongoing symptoms and limitations are accurately represented in your case. When needed, we enlist independent specialists to challenge the IME doctor’s findings with objective, evidence-based analysis.
Whether through negotiation, mediation, or litigation, we work tirelessly to ensure our clients receive the full benefits they deserve, not just what the insurance company is willing to offer.
Why Legal Support Is Critical to Keep IME Workers’ Compensation Benefits
Without legal support, injured workers may unknowingly allow the IME report to dictate the outcome of their case.
With Hansford McDaniel on your side, you benefit from:
- Years of focused workers’ compensation experience
- Deep understanding of IME practices and procedures
- A legal team that’s committed to protecting your income, health, medical history, and future
- The resources to push back against insurance companies, biased medical examinations, and opinions
Don’t Face an Independent Medical Examination (IME) Alone
An IME can dramatically affect the outcome of your Atlanta workers’ compensation claim, but it doesn’t have to derail your case.
At Hansford McDaniel Workers’ Compensation Attorneys, we believe injured workers deserve full, fair benefits, and we know how to stand up to insurance companies that try to avoid paying for medical treatment for them.
If you’ve suffered a workplace injury and have been scheduled for an IME or recently received an unfavorable report, don’t wait to get legal help. Contact our team today for a free consultation, and let’s work together to protect your rights, recovery, and future.
