If you have been injured on the job in Idaho, there is a good chance the workers’ compensation insurance company will eventually schedule what they call an “Independent Medical Examination,” or IME. The name sounds reassuring. It isn’t.

Despite the word “independent,” these exams are rarely neutral — and they are frequently used as a tool to reduce or eliminate the benefits you have already earned.

The Insurance Company Picks the Doctor

When an insurance carrier schedules an IME, they choose the physician. They are not required to select a doctor with no prior relationship to the insurance industry. In practice, workers’ compensation insurance companies tend to use the same small group of physicians repeatedly — physicians who know who is paying for the evaluation and what opinions are expected of them.

Studies of IME outcomes consistently show that physicians hired by insurance carriers provide opinions favorable to the carrier far more often than they favor the injured worker. This is not a coincidence.

What an IME Is Designed to Do

An unfavorable IME opinion can be used by the insurance company to:

  • Declare you at Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI) before you have fully recovered, cutting off your medical benefits and wage-loss payments
  • Dispute your treating physician’s work restrictions and return-to-work timeline
  • Reduce or eliminate your temporary total disability (TTD) payments
  • Challenge your permanent impairment rating, reducing your long-term disability benefits
  • Deny authorization for recommended surgeries, physical therapy, or other treatment

A single biased report from an IME physician can jeopardize your medical care, your income, and your financial future — especially if you do not have experienced legal representation challenging it.

You Have Rights

Idaho law gives injured workers certain rights when it comes to IMEs. You are entitled to have an attendant present during the examination and to audio record your interaction with the doctor (see Idaho Code Section 72-433). More importantly, an experienced workers’ compensation attorney can challenge an unfair IME opinion with contrary medical evidence from your own treating physicians.

The insurance company has experienced adjusters and lawyers working to protect their interests. You deserve experienced representation working to protect yours.

How Goicoechea Law Can Help

At Goicoechea Law, we have been representing injured Idaho workers for more than 20 years. We know how IMEs work, we know how to challenge unfavorable IME reports, and we have challenged insurance company tactics in Idaho Industrial Commission hearings and before the Idaho Supreme Court.

If the insurance company has scheduled an IME, or if an IME report has already been used against you, contact us before you take any further steps. We offer a free, confidential case review with no obligation — and no attorney fee unless we win your case.

Call 208.743.2313 or fill out our online contact form to get started.

Goicoechea Law, LLC represents injured workers throughout Idaho including Lewiston, Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls, Hayden, Sandpoint, Moscow, Orofino, Grangeville, and statewide.