IME scheduled next week and I'm honestly terrified — what do they actually do in there?

I went through one of these last year after a bad intersection crash and honestly the best advice I got was: answer only what they ask, don't volunteer extra information, and don't downplay your pain to seem tough. I made the mistake of saying 'I'm doing better' when the doctor asked how I felt, and that phrase showed up in the report in a way that made it sound like I was basically healed. Just be precise and honest — if something still hurts, say it still hurts.

Please understand that 'Independent' is basically a marketing word here. The insurance company is paying that doctor's bill. Studies have actually shown IME doctors hired by insurers rule in the insurer's favor the vast majority of the time. That doesn't mean you panic, it just means you go in with your eyes open. Stick to facts, don't chat casually before or after the exam, and remember that anything you say in that office can end up in a written report.

A couple of practical things from what I've seen working adjacent to PI cases:

1. Bring nothing to the exam unless your attorney specifically tells you to. You're not there to present your case — that's your lawyer's job. 2. If the doctor asks you to perform a movement that causes pain, do it only to the point of pain and say out loud 'that's where my pain stops me.' Don't push through and make it look like you have more range than you do. 3. The short exam thing you mentioned is super common. Some of these run 15-20 minutes. That's actually useful information for your attorney — the brevity of the exam can be challenged later if the doctor writes a sweeping opinion based on almost no time with you.

Not legal advice, but I'll say this — the preexisting condition angle is standard IME territory, so you should expect that to come up. What matters is the documentation trail: your pre-accident records showing what your hip was like before, and your surgeon's written opinion connecting the labrum tear directly to the crash. If your attorney doesn't already have those lined up, flag it before Thursday. The 'eggshell plaintiff' concept exists in tort law precisely because insurers can't escape liability just because someone had a prior condition — but your medical paper trail needs to support that.

I used to work on the claims side and I want to be straight with you: the IME report is going to be one of the biggest weapons the adjuster uses in negotiations. If the IME doc says your injury was 'pre-existing' or that you've 'reached maximum improvement,' the adjuster will lean on that hard to justify a lower offer. It doesn't mean the case is over, it just means your attorney needs to be ready to counter it with your own treating physician's opinion. Your surgeon who actually operated on you carries more weight than a doc who saw you for 20 minutes, in my experience.

I don't know anything about the legal stuff but I just want to say — be kind to yourself going into this. You went through a crash that wasn't your fault, had surgery, and you're still recovering. That's a lot. Whatever happens in that exam, it doesn't define your experience or your pain. Sending good thoughts your way 💙

Short version: say as little as possible, be truthful, don't perform wellness. If it hurts, say it hurts. If you're tired, say you're tired. Don't do the thing where you try to seem strong and end up looking uninjured. And write down everything that happens at the exam afterward while it's fresh — who was in the room, how long it lasted, what movements they asked you to do. Your attorney will want all of that.