Physical and Mental Examinations

(a) Order for Examination. (1) In General. The court where the action is pending may order a party whose mental or physical condition—including blood group—is in controversy to submit to a physical or mental examination by a suitably licensed or certified examiner. The court has the same authority to order a party to produce for examination a person who is in the party’s custody or under the party’s legal control. (2) Motion and Notice; Contents of the Order. (A) The order may be made only on motion for good cause and on notice to all parties and the person to be examined. (B) The order must specify the time, place, manner, conditions, and scope of the examination, as well as the person or persons who will perform it. The examination must take place in an appropriate professional setting in the judicial district in which the action is pending, unless otherwise agreed by the parties or ordered by the court. (3) Recording the Examination. On request of a party or the examiner, the court may, for good cause shown, require as a condition of the examination that the examination be audio recorded. The party or examiner who requests the audio recording must arrange and pay for the recording and provide a copy of the recording on written request. The examiner and all persons present must be notified before the examination begins that it is being recorded. (4) Observers at the Examination. The party against whom an examination is sought may request as a condition of the examination to have an observer present at the examination. When making the request, the party must identify the observer and state his or her relationship to the party being examined. An observer must not in any way interfere, obstruct, or participate in the examination. (b) Examiner’s Report. (1) Request by the Party or Person Examined. Unless otherwise ordered by the court for good cause, the party who moved for the examination must, upon a request by the party against whom the examination order was issued, provide a copy of the examiner’s report within 30 days of the examination or by the date of the applicable expert disclosure deadline, whichever occurs first. (2) Contents. The examiner’s report must be in writing and must set out in detail the examiner’s findings, including diagnoses, conclusions, and the results of any tests. (3) Request by the Moving Party. After delivering the reports, the party who moved for the examination may request—and is entitled to receive—from the party against whom the examination order was issued like reports of all earlier or later examinations of the same condition. But those reports need not be delivered by the party with custody or control of the person examined if the party shows that the party could not obtain them. (4) Waiver of Privilege. By requesting and obtaining the examiner’s report, or by deposing the examiner, the party examined waives any privilege that party may have—in that action or any other action involving the same controversy—concerning testimony about all examinations of the same condition. (5) Failure to Deliver a Report. The court on motion may order—on just terms—that a party deliver the report(s) of an examination. If the report(s) is not provided, the court may exclude the examiner’s testimony at trial. (6) Scope. Rule 35(b) also applies to an examination made by the parties’ agreement, unless the agreement states otherwise. Rule 35(b) does not preclude obtaining an examiner’s report or deposing an examiner under other rules. [Amended; effective October 29, 2024.]