If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, it is of the utmost importance to seek immediate medical attention and follow the doctor’s instructions afterward. If you miss scheduled appointments for treatment or avoid taking prescribed or recommended over-the-counter medications, it could affect the overall value of your personal injury claim.
Our lawyers at Roden Law are available to help. We offer a free case review to see if you qualify for compensation to cover medical expenses, lost wages from missing work, pain and suffering and more.
Learn more about the importance of following the doctor’s orders and maintaining the value of your personal injury claim below.
Reasons Why You Should Follow the Doctor’s Orders
Most personal injury lawyers will advise you to visit a medical professional for an examination immediately after sustaining your injury. This is important for two reasons – one being the overall improvement of your health and two – if you avoid getting examined, the insurance company can use this as a reason to deny your claim by saying that your injury was caused by something other than what you claim.
Following the doctor’s orders after your initial checkup is equally as important because if you fail to do so, the insurer could lower your compensation by saying that your injury could have improved, had you followed up with the doctor’s recommended treatment program. They could also try to say that your injury is not as severe, since you avoided follow-up treatment or recommended medications.
Keeping all medical documentation of your health care appointments is necessary to prove to the insurance company that you are doing everything possible to help improve your health.
Steps to Take to Help Your Claim
There are several things you can do to help maintain the validity and value of your claim, such as:
- Keep in contact with your health care provider – Maintain contact with your health care provider and notify them of any improvements or if your condition worsens.
- Attend all medical appointments – Try to attend all recommended appointments related to your injury, including therapy and rehabilitation sessions.
- Visit recommended specialists – If your primary health care physician recommends you see another specialist, it is important to do so to avoid questions from the insurance company. The insurer could say that you are not trying to improve your condition by avoiding the specialist.
- Take all recommended medications – Taking all recommended doses of prescription or over-the-counter medications is important to maintain the value of your injury claim. Insurers could say you purposely made your condition worse by not taking your medication.
- Maintain a medical journal – Sometimes it can be difficult to remember everything you experienced after an accident. Keep track of your recovery process in a personal journal including medical appointments, prescriptions taken, level of pain and suffering you endured, and any improvements or setbacks concerning your condition. This could be used as evidence in your injury claim.
- Preserve evidence – You should save all important documentation regarding your injury, including police/accident reports, medical bills, lost income if you missed work and property damage reports.
- Consult with a lawyer – Discussing your legal options with a licensed personal injury lawyer is highly recommended. Injury victims usually recover higher compensation amounts compared to those who choose to handle the claim on their own.
Avoid Activities That Could Worsen Your Condition
Sometimes doctors may advise you to avoid participating in certain activities that could worsen your condition, such as playing sports, exercising, working or other strenuous activities.
If you do not listen to this advice, you could reaggravate your injury and this could be held against the value of your claim. You should try to do everything possible to show the insurer that you genuinely care about improving your health.
Insurance adjusters are known for investigating social media profiles of injury victims. If you are seen on social media doing activities that your doctor deemed as dangerous for your condition, it could also be used as evidence against you.
Contact a Qualified Personal Injury Lawyer
If you or someone you know was injured in an accident, it is important to be consistent with your doctor’s recommended medical treatment plan. If you show inconsistencies with your treatment schedule or stop taking medications, you could be losing out on significant compensation. Getting in contact with a qualified personal injury lawyer could help you get the maximum compensation available.
The Macon personal injury lawyers at our firm are committed to helping injury victims throughout Georgia obtain the compensation they need for medical expenses and other damages.
We charge nothing to discuss the details of your claim and you will not be obligated to retain our services. Your information is kept confidential and we do not receive payment unless you do, so there are no risks involved.