After a car accident, it is critical to see a healthcare provider who can diagnose your injuries, prescribe you medication and a treatment plan, refer you to a specialist if necessary, and provide you with medical documentation that you will need in order to receive the compensation you deserve from your personal injury claim. While it can be easy to lose track of time when you are dealing with lost wages and vehicle damage, seeing a doctor is essential if you want to be eligible to receive the maximum compensation from your auto accident claim. When you do see your healthcare provider, the following are important questions to ask:
What Are My Injuries, and How Can You Tell?
One of the first questions you will want to receive an answer to is: what are my injuries? And you will want to know how the doctor or other healthcare provider reached this conclusion. Did they use specific tests? Do they have experience identifying similar injuries based on patient signs or symptoms, or the results of an x-ray or CT scan?
How Often Do You Treat Car Accident Victims?
You should ask how frequently the healthcare provider you are seeing treats car accident victims. Having a sense of the doctor’s past experience can help you to know if the doctor has seen cases like yours before, and whether the doctor’s assessment is likely to be accurate. You should know that you can, and should, always seek a second opinion from a healthcare provider.
Should I Worry About Injuries that Have Not Yet Produced Signs or Symptoms?
You should certainly ask your healthcare provider about whether she or he has run tests to identify serious injuries that have not yet produced signs or symptoms. As the Mayo Clinic highlights, while certain injuries may result in immediate signs or symptoms, it may take hours, days, and in some cases even weeks before an injury victims starts to experience symptoms of a severe injury. You should inquire with your healthcare provider about whether your medical assessment accounts for all injuries, including those for which you do not yet have symptoms.
What Kind of Documentation Will I Have from You to Prove that My Injuries Happened in the Car Accident?
Ask your healthcare provider about the specific type of documentation you will have to show that your injuries occurred in the car crash. Sometimes, an at-fault driver might try to argue that you already had these injuries when the collision occurred. Your healthcare provider can help to show that the injuries resulted from the recent crash.
Do You Think I Need to See a Specialist?
If you need to see a specialist, it is important for you to be proactive in speaking with your healthcare provider about it. A specialist may be necessary to identify and treat any injuries you sustained as a result of a car accident.
What is My Likely Recovery Time, and When Can I Return to Work?
Your healthcare provider can help you to understand your recovery time, which in turn can provide you with information you need to estimate your current and future lost wages, and to seek financial compensation for the time in the future in which you will not be able to return to work. Understanding your recovery time can also allow you to estimate the types of care and treatment you will need in the future, and to seek compensation for any medical or rehabilitative expenses you will incur during your recovery.
Contact a Rochester Car Accident Lawyer for Assistance
When you have been injured in a motor vehicle collision in or around Rochester, it is critical to seek an evaluation from a healthcare provider as soon as possible. If you wait too long to see a doctor, your injuries could worsen, the at-fault driver could raise the issue of comparative fault and might successfully argue that you are partially at fault for the severity of your injuries. Further, the sooner you have accurate medical records, the sooner you can begin the process of filing a strong claim for financial compensation. When it comes to filing a car accident claim, in addition to the importance of seeking a medical assessment, it is also critical to have an experienced Rochester car accident lawyer on your side. Do not hesitate to get in touch with one of the personal injury attorneys at our firm. We routinely serve clients in Rochester, Syracuse, Albany, and the surrounding communities. Contact Powers & Santola, LLP for more information.
