Mistakes Crash Victims Make When They See a Doctor Following an Ohio Car Crash

The first place you should go after an Ohio car accident is the emergency room. You need to meet with a doctor to have your injuries diagnosed and treated.

Unfortunately, many people make a variety of mistakes when seeing a doctor after a car accident. These errors could happen during the first doctor visit, but crash victims may also make mistakes throughout the treatment process.

It is vital that you avoid these mistakes for the sake of your health, but it is also worth noting how they could damage your claim for compensation. The things you say or do not say could make it harder for your Cleveland auto accident lawyer to recover full compensation.

Not Going to the Hospital Right Away

Waiting to go to the hospital is a bad idea, even if you think you only have minor injuries that will heal on their own. Your injuries could be worse than you realize, and waiting to see a doctor could lengthen or complicate your recovery.

Waiting to go to the hospital also looks bad to the insurance company. They may deny or undervalue your claim, telling you that if your injuries were serious, you would have sought treatment right away.

Seeking or Taking Legal Advice From Doctors

You should never discuss your insurance claim with your doctor. Your doctor’s job is to treat your injuries, not provide legal advice.

While conversations with your lawyer about your case are confidential, the things you say to your doctor might not be.

Failing To Disclose All Your Symptoms

Be sure to tell the doctor about all the symptoms you are experiencing. Be specific and provide as much detail as you can. Doctors need to know your symptoms to provide a proper diagnosis.

You may think that some symptoms are no big deal, like headaches or feeling sick to your stomach. However, these could be signs of something serious, like a traumatic brain injury or internal injury.

Failing To Disclose or Be Honest About Your Medical History

Since car crashes can aggravate existing injuries or medical conditions, you inform your doctors about your past medical history. Fully informing your doctor about your prior medical history helps your doctor make an accurate diagnosis.

Failing to inform your doctor about past medical history can make it much harder to recover compensation for aggravation of an existing injury. This is especially true if you tell the doctor about your past injury later in the legal process. The insurance company may argue you are concealing things to try to inflate the value of your claim.

Concealing Your Inability To Work From Your Doctor

Your injuries could make it harder to work. Some people may be completely unable to work for a certain period.

If your injuries hurt your ability to work, it is important to inform your doctor. Your doctor can write a note to your employer so your absence from work may be excused.

If you fail to inform your doctor and your doctor subsequently does not recommend work restrictions, it will be much harder to recover compensation for lost wages or loss of earning capacity.

Disobeying Doctor’s Orders

It is vital that you follow the doctor’s orders. If you work too much or engage in activities your doctor advises against, you could make your injuries worse. If the insurance company finds out, and they probably will, they will use your disregard of your doctor’s orders against you.

The insurance company may claim you are not as injured as you or your doctor say you are. They may deny compensation for medical care you receive after they find out you have not been doing what the doctor told you to do.

Not Telling Your Doctor About Psychological/Emotional Issues

Physical injuries can take an emotional toll. You may experience anxiety, depression, or other psychological issues. This can be because of your inability to work or take part in the activities you once enjoyed. You may also have trouble adjusting to your new physical limitations.

Skipping Appointments

You should never skip an appointment with one of your treating doctors unless you plan to reschedule. This is bad for your recovery and your claim for compensation. You should continue your medical treatment until your doctors say the healing process has concluded.

Skipping appointments makes it harder for doctors to make sure your treatment is progressing as it should. Regular meetings allow doctors to change their approach to your injury based on how you respond to treatment.

Insurance companies like it when crash victims miss appointments because it gives them a reason to argue that your injuries have healed. They will use this argument as a justification to underpay or even deny your claim.

Not Keeping Records of Your Medical Appointments

Keeping a record of your medical appointments is a good idea, and could include notes about each appointment, your bills and receipts. You want to make sure you have the evidence that backs up your claim. You not only need to prove you suffered an injury, but you also need to prove the value of your medical costs.

You can keep all of this information in a file to make sure you do not lose track of anything.

Friedman, Domiano and Smith Helps Crash Victims Secure Compensation. Call Today

Crash victims may underestimate how complicated and stressful the legal process can be. Panic may set in if the insurance company denies or undervalues your claim.

These are common reasons why many victims decide to call a lawyer for help. At Friedman, Domiano and Smith, we manage every step of the legal process on behalf of our clients. We have helped countless crash victims and our firm has obtained millions on behalf of our clients.

There are no upfront costs with our services. We do not get paid unless we secure compensation.