Choosing the Right Lawyer is No ACCIDENT- A Personal Injury Guide - By Jeff Adelman (2025 Edition)

Choosing the Right Lawyer is No Accident
DEFENSE DOCTORS
Defense Doctor Expert Witnesses are often casually referred to as
IMEs. I never let them be referred to as IMEs because IME stands for
Independent Medical Examination. These doctors are paid expert
witnesses for the defense and from the insurance companies and
corporations, so to call them an independent medical examiner is simply
untrue. The Courts say they are Compulsory Medical Examinations
(CME) or Defense Medical Examinations (DME), and the term IME
should never be allowed in your case.
Let’s focus on the actual medical examination that will be performed on
you, the accident victim bringing the lawsuit. This will be performed by
the doctor who is being paid to come to court and testify AGAINST
YOU at trial. They may likely testify that you were not hurt in the
accident, that you are not as hurt as you say you are, that you are
exaggerating, that you are lying, or possibly that if you have a painful
condition or injury, it has nothing to do with the accident. They will say
that your injuries pre-exist the accident. That the findings on the MRI are
degenerative, meaning that they are the result of you getting older. The
paid defense expert doctor may levy several of these opinions against
you.
It is rare for these doctors to say that a Plaintiff is hurt in the subject car
crash or slip and fall, so keep that in mind when you are going to the
doctor visit. This is not like any doctor visit you have been to because
this doctor is not there to help you and will tell you this. Next are my
rules for conducting yourself at one of these defense doctor
examinations.
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Jeff Adelman, B.C.S., Esq.