Louisville Personal Injury Attorney Publishes Article Detailing Courtroom Experience with the Independent Medical Examination (IME)

Louisville attorney Hal Friedman of Cooper & Friedman Attorneys at Law recently authored an article in The Advocate, a publication of the Kentucky Justice Association. The article, titled "The So-Called 'Independent' Medical Examination in Motor Vehicle Cases - Turning the Table on the Defense Examiner," discusses Mr. Friedman's experience with the Independent Medical Examination (IME). As a plaintiff lawyer with nearly 20 years of professional experience practicing law in the state of Kentucky, Mr. Friedman is very familiar with the Independent Medical Examination (IME) process.

An IME is often requested during a legal case when there is some controversy surrounding a person's mental or physical condition. A physician, dentist or other health care expert deemed appropriate may be asked to conduct an independent medical evaluation.

As noted by Mr. Friedman, plaintiff attorneys sometimes regard IMEs with a degree of concern. Recognizing this, Mr. Friedman highlights some important tips and strategies for fellow plaintiff attorneys to consider. Some of it is general information that could be helpful to all plaintiff attorneys, and some of it is more specific to those practicing law in Kentucky.

Some of the areas Mr. Friedman addresses in his article include the following:

Having a keen understanding of the jury's perspective and the type of information they need and want.

Recognizing the role and professional identity of the medical professionals that conduct IMEs.

Understanding the strict protocol involved in the IME process.

Knowing where and how to focus the attention generated by an IME in the courtroom.

Recognizing that Kentucky law entitles you to all the information that could impact a DME physician's bias, Mr. Friedman explains several practical ways to address this in the courtroom.

Mr. Friedman summarizes: "In the end, just remember that no DME is going to admit that he or she got it wrong. No matter how fancy your cross and no matter how much detail about the medicine you get into with the defense expert, you are likely not going to get that 'Perry Mason' moment with the doctor breaking down on the stand." Keeping your cool and exploiting the fine details associated with this special type of examination are two of the important take-aways from Mr. Friedman's article.

Mr. Friedman is a Louisville, Kentucky, native, and a graduate of the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law. He has high ratings with the Martin-Dale Hubble Lawyer Directory. He is also a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, one of the most prestigious groups of trial lawyers in the U.S.

Mr. Friedman written and published many different legal articles and enjoys serving as a speaker for a variety of organizations. His areas of legal specialty include personal injury, car accidents, consumer protection, slip and fall injuries, and nursing home injuries. For more information about Louisville personal injury attorney Hal Friedman, visit www.cooperandfriedman.com or call 502-459-7555.

The Advocate is a publication of the Kentucky Justice Association. It is a unique periodical in that it publishes articles written for trial attorneys by trial attorneys.