Medico-Legal Services
Independent Medical Exam
An Independent Medical Examination (IME) is an examination of a person’s injury by an objective, third-party medical professional. IME’s can be requested by insurance companies, lawyers, or employers if you are injured at work, are in an automobile accident, or sustain a personal injury and file a claim. An IME is often used to determine the proximate cause and diagnostic consequences of an injury. They are also used to help determine whether the treatment was appropriate and necessary, and to determine if Maximum Medical Improvement or end of healing has been reached. The medical professional performing the IME is expected to conduct a comprehensive analysis of all medical records and physical examination results that are used to compose an objective report.
Medical Records Review
A medical record review is a review of medical records submitted and an assessment of the outstanding issues based solely on those records. They are often requested to help identify medical necessity and appropriateness of medical services provided. They are usually less complex than an IME, although some complicated cases can be challenging. This type of opinion can be provided either with or without a written report, depending on the needs of the requesting agent.
Deposition & Live Testimony
A deposition is sworn testimony given outside of court. Depositions can be used by attorneys to test theories they have about the case at hand. They can also be used to gather information from non-parties, like medical experts or professionals in pertinent fields. Although this information may not be frequently used or presented in court, it will still help lawyers develop a complete picture of how best to present their case.
Expert Witness
An expert witness, by virtue of education, skill, and experience is a person with a specialized skill set whose opinion may help make sense of the factual evidence of a case. An expert witness plays a vital role in court, particularly when it comes to personal injury cases and other related lawsuits. Many lawyers will rely on the help of such an expert witness during the initial stages of putting together a case for his or her client. After all, these expert witnesses can often reach conclusions and understandings that the untrained eye cannot.