Receive Treatment for All Injuries After a Car Accident
The most important aspect of a personal injury case is your medical treatment. You need to ensure that you are getting the best and most appropriate treatment for your injury. It is critical that you document your injuries and your complaints of pain – even if they feel minor or are “not a big deal.” Often what seems like a small injury or complaint can turn into something much more significant. If the complaint is not documented in the medical records, you can be assured that the insurance company will question whether it is related to the accident. When you go to the hospital, doctor, or any medical treatment provider, it is imperative that you make sure that your complaints are being articulated to the medical professionals and documented in the medical record. You will have a very difficult time arguing to the insurance company that you want to be compensated for pain and suffering if there is no medical evidence of that treatment.
Avoid Gaps in Medical Treatment
Insurance companies are quick to point out gaps in treatment or long delays before you seek medical attention. Therefore, if you are referred to a medical provider by your primary care doctor, you should go at the earliest opportunity. If you are instructed to get an X-ray, an MRI, or some other diagnostic testing, you should not delay. Again, the insurance company will use any delay in seeking treatment to argue that you “aren’t hurt enough to seek treatment.” Do not fall into this trap.
Your primary care physician is there to be the quarterback of your medical treatment. While it’s perfectly acceptable to go to a chiropractor, physical therapist, or any medical provider you prefer, your primary care physician will know the best course of treatment for you. If you have a complaint, contact your primary care physician for advice.
Once you start a course of treatment, be it physical therapy, chiropractic care, massage therapy, or any other treatment, be sure to complete the treatment or discuss with the medical provider whether you are progressing or not. Do not simply stop going. The insurance company will want to know why you stopped going and will assume that it was only because you “got better.”
