How Missing Doctor’s Appointments and Ignoring Your Doctor’s Advice Could Harm Your Car Accident Claim

If you were injured in a car accident in New York, it is critical to seek prompt medical care as soon as possible after the accident. Once you have been evaluated, you should seek follow-up care and follow your physician’s instructions. This is important not just for the sake of your health but for the sake of your insurance claim.

Below, we’ll discuss why receiving medical care and attending doctor’s appointments is critical to a successful personal injury claim.

Why Is Missing My Doctor’s Appointments a Bad Idea?

There are several significant reasons why skipping medical treatment would not bode well for your car accident claim:

It Could Jeopardize Your Health

From a practical standpoint, missing medical treatments could negatively affect your health. Seeking prompt medical care directly after a car accident is crucial to safeguarding your well-being. In the aftermath of a collision, you might be in shock due to the trauma you suffered in the accident. You might have sustained injuries that you aren’t even aware of or injuries that have not yet revealed themselves, such as internal injuries and traumatic brain injuries.

If you hope to make a full recovery, getting treated as soon as possible after the accident is the best way to ensure you fully regain your health. If you fail to seek treatment, your health could be negatively impacted in numerous ways:

• Your injuries could get worse, exacerbated by the lack of treatment. For example, if you fail to treat a hematoma, you could eventually be facing a medical emergency.
• Your injury might become a chronic condition. For example, if you sustained a whiplash injury but didn’t seek treatment, the injury could cause chronic pain and loss of mobility in your neck and shoulders.
• Your injury might never completely heal. If you opt not to pursue treatment or any recommended rehabilitative care, your injury could turn into a disability that permanently alters your life.
• If you decide not to receive follow-up treatment, your doctor won’t know whether your injuries are responding to treatment.

It could impact Your Credibility

If you are considering skipping medical treatment, you should try to imagine your situation from the insurance company’s point of view. If you forego treatment, miss doctor’s appointments, or fail to show up for rehabilitative care, it may seem as though your injuries aren’t actually that serious.

Likewise, if you fail to follow your doctor’s orders, it may seem like you aren’t concerned with getting better, which could add to the impression that you aren’t seriously injured and hurt your credibility with the insurance company. From their perspective, individuals who sustained legitimately severe injuries would seek out the treatment they need and follow their doctor’s instructions.

It Could Weaken Your Case

If you don’t pursue medical care after an accident, you might forfeit your ability to seek compensation through an insurance claim. Most insurance companies require that you be evaluated within 72 hours of an accident, or they might deny your claim. Because of this, seeking prompt medical attention after an accident is imperative.

If you fail to seek medical care, there won’t be a medical record of your injuries. If there are no records, it will be challenging for you to connect your injuries with the accident that caused them.

If you can’t show that the accident caused your injuries through medical documentation, the insurance company may argue that your injuries weren’t caused by the accident in question. They might suggest that your injuries were sustained in a separate accident that didn’t involve their policyholder.

As a result, you could end up with a much smaller settlement than you deserve, or no settlement at all, leaving you to cover medical expenses, lost wages, property damage, and other costs out-of-pocket. If you can’t earn an income while you recover, you could end up in serious medical debt.

If you didn’t cause the accident, you shouldn’t be responsible for any expenses or losses related to your injuries. That’s why you must seek medical care right away and continue your treatment until you are fully recovered.

It’s also important to note that you add evidence to your claim every time you visit your doctor or attend physical therapy. Every medical visit results in a new medical record being created. Your attorney can use these documents to help bolster your case.

The more documentation, the better. Each piece of medical documentation will provide evidence of the severity of your condition and the treatments you must undergo. Ultimately, your attorney will compile all of your medical documents and use them to tabulate your financial losses.

Contact Car Accident Attorneys at Finz & Finz, P.C.

Were you seriously injured in a car accident in New York? If so, you could be entitled to recover compensation for expenses and losses you suffered. Navigating the claims process while you are trying to recover from your injuries can be stressful, which is why it is essential to consult with an experienced attorney.

The legal team at Finz & Finz, P.C. has the knowledge and resources to conduct a thorough investigation of your case, gather evidence to support your case, document and calculate losses you incurred, and negotiate a settlement on your behalf. We handle every aspect of your claim for you so that you can focus on rebuilding your life.

We are committed to helping you seek the compensation you need after a car accident. Contact us today to discuss your case with one of our New York and Long Island car accident lawyers and evaluate your options. We offer a free, no-risk consultation to all prospective clients.