Everyone knows that an accident victim needs to see a doctor as soon as possible. But in addition to this, it is critical to have good follow-up with your physician. To neglect appointments and not follow up means putting your case in jeopardy.
Viable claims can disintegrate quickly when accident victims don’t follow doctors’ orders. The Defensive Driving Handbook recommends seeking treatment immediately after the crash to help legitimize your claim since insurers may become suspicious if you delay or stop treatment.
And there is a lot at stake. Total costs for productivity losses linked to car accident-related fatalities and injuries amounted to $75 billion dollars in 2017 alone, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Insurance adjusters are not your friend. While they may seem friendly, remember that an adjuster works for the insurance company, not you. They will do everything in their power to minimize or deny your claim. Halting medical treatment before it is complete will lead many adjusters to say that you are exaggerating or even go so far as to accuse you of fabricating your injuries.
Your Credibility Is at Stake
Continue treatment and you will support the validity of your car accident claim. Being a no-show or just ignoring a single doctor’s appointment is one of the worst things you can do. Don’t sabotage yourself. Unless something earth-shattering happens, go to any and all appointments. If you absolutely cannot make it, be sure to reschedule as soon as possible. This shows that you are proactive in your health treatment and serious about receiving care.
You may also cause harm to yourself by delaying treatment in the case of an injury that gets worse, for example a joint injury that got worse when you went for a run that morning instead of going to the doctor’s appointment. Insurers can and will argue that they do not have to compensate you for damages that are caused by your own careless behavior.
Letting time lapse in between treatments can have similar consequences. If you have several consecutive appointments scheduled, go to every one of them. Missing or skipping appointments for a few weeks at a time will look suspicious to a jury that is trying to decide if you deserve a decent settlement.
There are exceptions which would include valid reasons like being too sick, being forced to care for another loved one at the time of the appointment, or if you have lost insurance coverage and cannot afford to go. Otherwise, there are a few excuses that jurors will accept without raising the eyebrow of suspicion.
Your Routine Can Wait
Some people are so excited to get back to their regular lives after an accident that they don’t take the necessary steps to protect their health and resume exercise routines like running or playing golf too soon after the accident. If you absolutely cannot miss that important golf outing, at a minimum, make sure you do not post on social media about it because claims adjusters will most certainly be monitoring your social media accounts. Any discrepancy between what you are saying and what appears online will very likely be used against you.
The reasons you should follow physician instructions and keep all your appointments are varied but most include the insurance adjuster, and yes, he or she is out to get you. Auto wrecks are complex and require common sense on your part as well as the help of an experienced Queens car accident lawyer, who will assist you in getting the payout you deserve.
