It depends - but often yes, if the insurance doctor is minimizing an injury that affects treatment or settlement value.

Picture a common summer case in Rehoboth Beach: a veteran gets clipped by a company van near Coastal Highway during bike season. The VA keeps treating the shoulder and neck. Then the liability insurer sends him to an IME - an "independent medical exam" - and that doctor says he only had a strain and should be fine. Meanwhile, his VA records still show weakness, pain, and maybe a suspected rotator cuff tear. In that situation, paying for a focused second opinion from an orthopedist or neurologist can be worth it, because the IME doctor is not there to treat him. That report is often built for the claim.

The general rule in Delaware is simple: the insurer's exam does not control your care. You can keep treating with your own doctors, including the VA, and you can get an outside specialist if the issue is whether you healed, need more treatment, or have a permanent injury.

It is usually worth the cost when:

• the IME says you're recovered but your symptoms continue
• your VA doctor's notes are brief and don't clearly address causation
• the insurer is using the IME to cut off payments or push a low offer
• the injury could involve future care, surgery, impairment, or lost work

It may not be worth it for a minor soft-tissue case that resolved quickly.

In Delaware, the deadline to sue for most injury claims is usually 2 years from the crash. Do not wait until month 23 to sort out bad medical opinions. Keep the IME report, VA records, imaging, and any out-of-pocket bills. If the fight is really about claim handling, complaints go to the Delaware Department of Insurance.