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What Is a Compulsory Medical Examination?

Focused, personal representation for Tennessee families and businesses, with offices in Nashville and Memphis.

Last Updated: Aug 10, 2026

Read Time: 2 mins

A compulsory medical examination (CME) is a tool used by insurance companies and insurance defense lawyers, often to work injury claims to their advantage. Insurance companies retain a group of doctors to examine car accident injuries, and some people claim these doctors, hired by the defense, are paid very well to minimize the severity of your injuries. Granted, insurance fraud costs insurance companies billions of dollars every year, and so they might even hire an investigator to watch and videotape you traveling from your home to work to see if you are faking your injuries.

Car insurance policies have two clauses that require different things from you as the policyholder:

That you comply with requests by the insurance company.
That you attend a physical exam by one of their doctors, and potentially more than once.

The whole purpose of this exam is to either deny coverage for your injuries or to reduce what they will owe you in the end.

Two-Part Exam

There are two parts to the exam:

Oral: The doctor will speak with you for about 20 minutes and make notes, not only about what your observations of your injuries are but also your conduct throughout the visit.
Physical: The doctor will examine your injuries for about 10 minutes and record your symptoms.

If you ever have to go through this type of exam, it’s important to remember that this is not your doctor. This is someone with a bias that will try to disprove as much of your case as they can in their reports. So, it’s better to be polite but not overly friendly with them and stick with the facts when describing any pain or injuries. Make sure to be ready to accurately describe the pain, movement restrictions, daily tasks that have become more difficult, etc. You should also prepare an accurate description of your medical history.

Many lawyers recommend that you schedule a visit with your doctor on the same day as your CME, so they can compare the two reports. In some cases, your lawyer at Patterson Bray will request a video recording while the CME is going on just to prove how little they do during the exam and whether they are ignoring obvious signs of injury.

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Client Reviews

    
 
 
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   Nancy Wallace 
 7 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. If you are looking to do estate planning, go with Patterson Bray! They are excellent to deal with!
  
 
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   Cheryl Adkins 
 8 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We loved the staff at Patterson Bray.  Everyone was very professional.  Judith was very thorough and explained everything extremely well.  We would recommend Patterson Bray to anyone.
  
 
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   Hailey Wade 
 32 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Patterson Bray PLLC did an excellent job with my grandmother's estate planning, and made everything easy to understand! She recommended them to a friend who went and is also very satisfied with their services.
  
 
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   Deb Clark 
 37 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. My experience with this firm, particularly Judith Denham has been truly exceptional.  From the consultation to the finish, the attention to detail, listening and responding to my needs.  My documents were completed timely and professionally.  I highly recommend Patterson Bray.
  
 
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   Tanya White 
 37 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. PattersonBray Estate Planning was an incredible firm to work with setting up our Trust. Judith Denham was thorough, very smart, and personable as she patiently explained each part.  Gabby put together  a very professional beautiful binder for us to have, and has answered questions we have had since  then. I am so glad they were recommended to us, and we had them to walk us through this procedure.
  
 
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   Charmaine Sego 
 38 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Patterson Bray did a great job with my mother's trust.
  
 
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   Phil Chamberlain 
 54 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Patterson Bray PLLC - first class lawyers.
  
 
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   Catherine McGee 
 74 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Heath Taylor was a genuine joy to work with during my divorce: straight forward, professional, and knowledgeable. I do hope I never have the need to acquire more legal help, but if I do, he'll be my first call. Thank you for everything, Heath!!
  
 
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   Marva Johnson 
 80 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I FOUND PATTERSON BRAY AND JUDITH DENHAM TO BE PROFESSIONAL, VERY THOROUGH, AND PERSONAL. I DID NOT FEEL LIKE A CLIENT, BUT A PERSON. I AM SO IMPRESSED WITH THEM, ESPECIALLY JUDITH AND GABBY. VERY GRATEFUL FOR ASSISTANCE.
M.JOHNSON
  
 
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   Pam Nicole 
 81 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We set up a trust with Judith, at Patterson Bray and we received excellent service. Everything was explained thoroughly and everyone was very friendly and professional. I would definitely use her and the firm again, if needed.

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What Is a Compulsory Medical Examination?

Two-Part Exam

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