If you suffer an injury in an accident, one of the most important first steps is to see a doctor who may be able to diagnose the type of injury you suffered and provide a treatment plan. Once your treatment plan is set, it is very important that you try and stick to it as best you can.
Below, we discuss why keeping up with your medical treatment may help strengthen your claim and how gaps in treatment may hurt it.
If you have questions about pursuing compensation after suffering an injury caused by the negligence of another person, we offer a free consultation to discuss your claim with one of our personal injury lawyers in Charleston.
Initial Treatment is Important
Seeking medical attention as soon as possible after an accident is very important. Often, the sooner an injury is treated, the better the victim’s prognosis may be. Catching and treating an injury quickly could speed up the healing process.
Some injuries may require emergency medical attention, and refusing treatment may not only delay recovery, but it may also lead to complications in the future.
Not only is the initial treatment important for your wellbeing, but it may also help strengthen your claim that you did suffer an injury that was directly related to the accident in question.
Treatment Helps Provide Medical Evidence to Back Up Your Claim
Proving the causal link between the accident caused by someone else’s negligence and your injuries is one of the most important factors when attempting to prove liability. A visit to the doctor one time after an accident may not be enough in the eyes of an insurance adjuster or jury to prove you suffered an injury due to the negligence of another.
Continuing your medical treatment should provide your treating physicians time to refer you for MRIs, X-rays, CT scans and other diagnostic testing that may later be used as evidence in your case to prove your injuries were caused by the accident.
Additionally, continuous treatment may allow your doctor to better understand how your injuries may affect your lifestyle in the future, which may be especially important when our attorneys are trying to determine the value of your future pain and suffering.
There is little chance your doctor will be able to provide an accurate prognosis for your injury until he or she may medically clear you after you have reached maximum medical recovery.
How Gaps in Treatment May Affect Your Injury Claim
After an accident, the insurance company is likely going to look for a way to deny or devalue your compensation. One of the most common ways adjusters devalue claims is by saying the accident victim is not as seriously injured as he or she claims. When you continuously miss doctor’s appointments or have other gaps in your medical treatment history, the insurance company is likely going to use that against you.
While there may be some instances when you have a legitimate reason for missing an appointment, it is important that you try your best to make it to the doctor’s office regularly to help prove that you were injured and that you are serious about getting the treatment you need to achieve a full recovery.
Legitimate Reasons for Having Gaps in Medical Treatment
Even when injury victims try hard to make it to every appointment, life eventually gets in the way. Between work, school or other personal obligations, there are some instances when you have a real excuse for not being able to make it to a doctor’s appointment. Fortunately, if you have a legitimate excuse it is more difficult for the insurance company to try to use it against you.
However, it is important that you let your attorney know when you miss appointments and try to work with your doctors to see how they may be able to accommodate your needs.
Call Today for a Free Consultation
The insurance company is always looking for any reason to deny or devalue an injury claim. If you have been disregarding the doctor’s recommendations or have stopped treatment, you can bet the insurance company will try to use it against you.
Getting the treatment that you need while dealing with the legal process may be overwhelming for many people. Fortunately, our experienced attorneys understand how complex this process may be for you and are prepared to help you from start to finish while you focus on getting back to how you were before the accident.
Call us today to schedule a free consultation with one of our licensed attorneys. The call is free and there is no obligation to take legal action.