You slipped on a broken marble tread in your Hamilton Heights walk-up and shattered your hip. A surgeon at a Manhattan hospital rebuilt it with plates and screws, and two years and dozens of follow-up visits later, that same surgeon performed a total hip replacement because the joint never healed right. Then the building owner's insurance company sends you to its own doctor, who examines you for 15 minutes and writes a report saying you've fully recovered. This is where treat

You were rear-ended on the Cross Bronx Expressway near the Webster Avenue exit six months ago. The MRIs show two herniated discs pressing on nerve roots, the epidural injections have stopped working, and your surgeon has recommended a cervical fusion. Then a letter arrives from your own insurance company: based on an "independent medical examination" that lasted barely ten minutes, your medical benefits are terminated. This is the no-fault IME cutoff, and it happens to seriou

You were rear-ended on the Long Island Expressway in Suffolk County eight months ago. Your neck and lower back haven't been the same since. The MRI shows two herniated discs, your orthopedist has restricted your work duties, and you still can't lift your toddler without sharp pain shooting down your leg. Then a letter arrives from the defense lawyer scheduling you for an independent medical examination with a doctor you've never met, in an office in a strip mall off Veterans

Scale of Justice with Medical Symbols Independent Medical Examinations (IMEs) are medical evaluations requested by insurance companies in personal injury and workers’ compensation cases. The IME doctor is not your treating physician and does not provide care. What you say, how you behave, and how the exam is conducted can directly affect your benefits or settlement. Preparing properly, answering honestly, and understanding your rights helps protect your claim. Independent Med