Injury Care and Treatment

Please remember, if you have been injured in an accident, the most important aspect of this matter is not your financial recovery, rather the most important issue is your health and your physical recovery from your injuries.  No amount of money will “undo” the injuries you have suffered and your goal should be to do everything you can to limit the long term consequences of your injuries. To that end we suggest the following:

1. Tell your treating healthcare provider about all pain complaints or problems you believe are related to the incident in question.

2. Follow the treatment schedule prescribed by your healthcare provider. Remember your doctor wants you to make a good recovery from your injuries and he or she has been trained to get you back to normal as quickly and efficiently as possible. Many times injury victims will begin to feel a little better and decide to quit receiving treatment even though they have not completed their full treatment schedule. Medical studies have clearly shown that incomplete treatment can result in long term physical consequences. As you can understand, the law will not hold an at-fault party responsible for future problems related to the injury if the victim's own actions contributed to those future problems.

3. Make sure you tell your doctor of any improvements in your condition and if your condition gets worse, please notify the doctor immediately.

4. If you cannot keep a scheduled appointment with your healthcare provider, please notify his or her office as soon as possible. Failure to report in advance may result in a N/S (no show) being marked in your chart. Remember, the insurance adjuster will be reviewing your treatment records and a N/S in the file may be used against you.

5.  Follow any restrictions or limitations prescribed by your healthcare provider. We recognize that there is no such thing as a convenient time to be injured; however, if your doctor limits your activities please follow those limitations. Again, the treatment schedule and procedures have been established for the purpose of getting you back to normal as quickly as possible.  A few days off of work after an injury may be financially difficult now but it is better than having a lifetime of chronic pain and disability because you didn’t adhere to the restrictions imposed by your healthcare provider. Also, remember more and more insurance companies are using surveillance techniques to determine the true nature of a claimant’s injuries.  Surveillance tape of an injury victim failing to follow physical restrictions or limitations can be devastating to the claim. 

6. Full disclosure to your healthcare provider is important. Report prior similar injuries to your doctor. We recognize that on initial in-take forms prior similar injuries are often inadvertently left off or forgotten; however, in the hands of a crafty insurance defense lawyer such an omission can be used against you. Also, remember the insurance company has access to your entire health insurance claim history and may already know about a prior similar injury. As a rule, if you are not sure whether or not it’s important...disclose it and let the doctor decide.