You just got a letter that says the defense wants you to attend a "CR 35 examination" after a crash on I-82 near Yakima or a fall on a Seattle sidewalk. That usually means the other side in a lawsuit is asking for a physical or mental exam under Washington Civil Rule 35.

A CR 35 exam is not treatment, and it is not a visit with your own doctor. It is an exam requested by the opposing party, usually the insurance company or defense lawyer, because your medical condition is part of the case. In Washington, a court can order this exam only when your condition is genuinely in dispute and there is good cause for it. Sometimes people agree to the exam without a formal court order, but you do not automatically have to attend just because a letter asks.

This matters because the doctor who performs the exam may later write a report or testify about your injuries, work limits, pain complaints, or whether the condition was caused by the incident at all. That can affect the value of your claim and how the defense argues causation, future medical damages, or permanent impairment.

The details also matter. Your lawyer may object to the timing, location, testing, or unrelated questions, and may ask for a protective order under Washington's court rules if the request is too broad.