My insurance company wants me to go to a doctor’s appointment for an examination. Do I have to go?

Usually yes. The insurance policy you have is nothing more than a contract between you and the insurance company. The policy sets forth what you have to do (like pay your premiums) and what they have to do (like pay claims). One of the provisions in the contract is that you have to submit to an examination by a doctor of their choosing in order to get, or keep, certain types of coverage (usually PIP).

The reason your insurance company has you to go to one of their doctors for an examination is so that their doctor can say that you are not hurt, or don’t need anymore treatment. This will limit the amount of money the insurance company has to pay for your medical bills (PIP), or may have to pay for injuries you receive from an accident (UIM/UM). The law in Washington is that PIP has to pay all of your medical bills that are reasonable, necessary, and causally related to the accident. By having a doctor give the opinion that your treatment is not reasonable, not necessary, or was not caused by the accident the insurance company can stop covering your medical costs. This happens even if you are still treating or, even worse, still in pain!

There are ways to dispute the findings of the insurance company doctor, but they are highly technical and time consuming. The best option if your insurance company asks you to go to a medical examination is to contact an experienced personal injury attorney. You can be assured that your insurance company has its own attorney protecting its rights, so should you.

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