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Will an Insurance Company Want to Examine Me After a Car Accident?

Posted on February 18, 2026 in Personal Injury

Loudoun County, VA Personal Injury Lawyer Dealing with the aftermath of a bad car accident feels never-ending. You’re dealing with bills and records and time off work. You may be trying to recover from a serious injury. The last thing you expect is a letter from the other driver's insurance company asking you to show up for a medical exam.

But insurance companies do sometimes ask for their own independent medical exams, and how you handle it can have a major impact on your case. If you get a request from an insurance company to go to a medical exam done by their physicians, stop. Don’t do anything else until you talk to a Loudoun County personal injury lawyer. An insurance company is not examining you to make sure you’re healing okay. They’re trying to reduce how much they might have to pay you.

What Is an Insurance Medical Exam and Why Do They Ask for One?

An insurance medical exam (sometimes called an Independent Medical Examination, or IME) is a physical evaluation requested by the insurance company, not by your own doctor. Despite the word "independent," the doctor performing the exam is hired and paid by the insurance company. That is not a neutral relationship.

Insurance companies request these exams for one reason: to look for a reason to reduce or deny your claim. The doctor they hire may conclude that your injuries are less serious than you said, that you had them before the accident, or that you no longer need treatment. That conclusion goes directly into the insurance company's file and can be used against you.

This is not about your health or your recovery. The insurance company is not your doctor, your advocate, or your friend. They are a business trying to minimize what they pay out and an IME is one of the tools they use to do it.

Do You Have to Go to an Insurance Medical Exam?

It depends on the situation, and this is exactly why you need to talk to your attorney before responding to any IME request.

Under Virginia law, if you have filed a claim under your own uninsured or underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage, your own insurance policy may give your insurer the right to request an examination. Refusing in that context could affect your ability to recover under your own policy.

However, if the request is coming from the at-fault driver's insurance company — not your own — you generally have more options. You are not automatically required to submit to an exam simply because they ask. However, under Rule 4:10 of the Supreme Court of Virginia, a court can order a physical exam for good cause shown. Your attorney can evaluate the request, determine whether it is enforceable, and negotiate the terms if attendance is ultimately required.

What you should never do is ignore the request entirely or respond to it without legal guidance. Either approach can create problems that are difficult to undo.

Managing Your Medical Care to Protect Your Personal Injury Claim

The IME is just one piece of a larger picture. How you handle your own medical care matters just as much. For example:

Get Consistent Treatment

Keep every appointment with your own doctors and follow their treatment recommendations. Do not skip visits or let gaps in treatment build up. Insurance companies treat gaps in care as evidence that you were not seriously hurt, even if the real reason you missed an appointment was because you could not afford it or could not get time off work.

Use Your Own Insurance to Pay for Treatment

Use your own health insurance to pay for treatment whenever possible. Doing so creates a legitimate paper trail that is harder for the insurance company to dismiss. Save every bill, every explanation of benefits, every prescription receipt, and every doctor’s appointment. Bring all of it to your attorney.

Act Like the Insurance Company is Not Your Friend

The insurance company does not care that your rent is due. They do not care whether you can afford your MRI or whether missing work has put your family in a difficult position. Their job is to close your claim for as little as possible. Your job — with your attorney's help — is to make sure they cannot do that.

Call a Loudoun County, VA Personal Injury Lawyer Today

Our Fairfax, VA personal injury attorney at Whitlock Law has recovered more than $50 million for injury victims. We are a small firm that fights hard for every client, and we offer free consultations so you can get real answers before making any decisions. Call Whitlock Law at 703-576-5005 to speak with a Loudoun County personal injury attorney today.

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Cases Tried In:

Free Consultations
Maryland 301-565-1655 | Virginia 703-576-5005

Will an Insurance Company Want to Examine Me After a Car Accident?

What Is an Insurance Medical Exam and Why Do They Ask for One?

Do You Have to Go to an Insurance Medical Exam?

Managing Your Medical Care to Protect Your Personal Injury Claim

Get Consistent Treatment

Use Your Own Insurance to Pay for Treatment

Act Like the Insurance Company is Not Your Friend

Call a Loudoun County, VA Personal Injury Lawyer Today

Recent Blog Posts

Categories

Archive

Request a Case Evaluation

Silver Spring Office

Bowie Office

Frederick Office

Chesapeake Office

Manassas Office

Glen Allen Office

Leesburg Office

Cases Tried In:

Free Consultations Maryland 301-565-1655 | Virginia 703-576-5005

Will an Insurance Company Want to Examine Me After a Car Accident?

What Is an Insurance Medical Exam and Why Do They Ask for One?

Do You Have to Go to an Insurance Medical Exam?

Managing Your Medical Care to Protect Your Personal Injury Claim

Get Consistent Treatment

Use Your Own Insurance to Pay for Treatment

Act Like the Insurance Company is Not Your Friend

Call a Loudoun County, VA Personal Injury Lawyer Today

Recent Blog Posts

Categories

Archive

Request a Case Evaluation

Silver Spring Office

Bowie Office

Frederick Office

Chesapeake Office

Manassas Office

Glen Allen Office

Leesburg Office

Free Consultations
Maryland 301-565-1655 | Virginia 703-576-5005