Independent Medical Examination — Rhode Island

Quick Answers — Independent Medical Examination

What is an independent medical examination? An independent medical examination (IME) is a clinical evaluation of an examinee conducted by a physician who is not the treating provider — producing an objective written opinion on the examinee's injuries, functional status, causation, and impairment for use in legal or insurance proceedings.

Who requests an IME? IMEs are requested by insurance carriers, defense attorneys, plaintiff attorneys, workers' compensation carriers, and courts — for a range of purposes including causation determination, impairment rating, treatment necessity review, and maximum medical improvement assessment.

Is Dr. Mulak available for both plaintiff and defense IMEs? Yes. Dr. Mulak conducts IMEs in both plaintiff and defense matters, subject to case-specific conflict review.

What does an IME report contain? A comprehensive clinical evaluation of the examinee, review of available medical records and imaging, objective examination findings, and written opinion addressing the specific questions posed by the requesting party.

What Is an Independent Medical Examination?

An independent medical examination is a formal clinical evaluation conducted by a qualified physician outside the treating physician relationship. The IME physician examines the examinee, reviews available medical records and imaging studies, and produces a written report containing objective findings and professional opinion on the questions posed by the requesting party.

IMEs serve a specific function in personal injury and workers' compensation proceedings — providing an independent clinical perspective on injury causation, diagnosis, treatment necessity, maximum medical improvement, and impairment. The IME physician's opinion is not advocacy — it is objective clinical analysis of the available evidence.