Hurt? Seek Medical Care After an Accident!
One of the most important things an injury victim can do is to seek medical treatment as soon as possible after an accident. Not doing so can hinder your ability to get better and can also be costly when trying to recover compensation in a personal injury case. If you are injured in an auto accident and do not seek medical care, the insurance adjuster assigned to your claim may not believe your injuries are serious enough to warrant treatment and therefore do not require compensation.
Medical records are usually a key piece of evidence in any personal injury case. As such, it is important that the medical records are thorough and contain information regarding your accident, injuries, and treatment. Make sure that you tell your doctors how the accident occurred and when. This will establish the link between the accident and the injuries and can strengthen your claim for settlement with the insurance company.
Another important issue that will affect your personal injury claim is what type of treatment you receive and where you receive it. Seeking treatment from a reputable doctor can help increase your overall settlement. Unfortunately, some doctors have developed close relationships with personal injury law firms. When the only medical records are from one of these practices, the records and testimony from that practice may not appear credible. It is best to use a doctor who has an established positive reputation in the community.
Once you have selected the doctor you will treat with, is very important to follow your doctor’s orders with regards to follow-up treatment. Not doing so can make it seem that you may not be as injured as you claim or that you are not taking the necessary steps to recover from your injuries. Insurance adjusters will assume long gaps in treatment to mean your injuries are not as serious as you claim them to be and that future treatment is not warranted. Adjusters believe if your injuries were serious and treatment necessary, you would do what you can to get better.
In closing, doctors play a vital role in any personal injury case. It is important that you seek medical care as soon as possible after your accident. Make sure to attend all of your appointments and follow the doctor’s orders. This will help you to recover from your injuries physically and will add value to your personal injury case.
If you or a loved one have been injured in an accident, call Personal Injury Attorney Chelsie M. Lamie at 727-501-3464 for a free consultation. You can also learn more about Attorney Lamie by visiting www.chelsielamie.com.