Getting Continuous Treatment for Your Car Accident-Related Injuries: How Failure to Do so Affects Your Claim
As a car accident victim with serious injuries, you may be worried about what you can do to help your attorney to pursue compensation through an injury claim or lawsuit. Although there are many ways you can help your attorney, one thing that can benefit your claim the most is to seek immediate medical attention and get continuous treatment if necessary.
If you don’t get your treatment continuously, your Orange County personal injury lawyers may not be able to pursue full compensation for your losses. The other party’s insurance provider may argue that your injuries have fully healed and that your claim should not include additional medical costs and other damages.
Importance of Medical Treatment
You need a doctor checking you right after a car accident. Waiting will result in your injuries becoming worse than they would have been. The shock that you feel when the crash happened may mask your pain and other symptoms. Sometimes, you may not feel any symptoms for days following the collision. Getting immediate medical evaluation can help reveal these hidden symptoms. If an injury is not detected and treated right away, it could be already worse when it’s discovered.
By seeking treatment immediately, you can help your lawyer prove the link of your injury to the crash. As a result, the insurance company won’t be able to assert that your injury was caused by something else.
Once you get treated, you must follow the orders of your doctor for your health. Also, this can help in showing the seriousness of your injuries. Failing to attend follow-up appointments will give the insurance company a reason to argue that your injuries were not serious enough to warrant the compensation you are demanding.
Moreover, stopping treatment earlier than what your doctor recommends may lead to the insurance company devaluing or denying your injury claim. As a result, it can become more difficult for your lawyer to help you recover the full value of your damages.
What to Expect When Your Medical Treatment Ends
When your injury has stabilized and may not improve even if you get more treatment, your attorney may be able to seek more compensation from the insurance company. But, this is the only case if you did not accept an initial offer from the company a release of their obligations. By accepting a settlement, you give up your rights to pursue future compensation for the same injuries.