Many people fail to realize how important their interactions with the doctor are when treating an injury. Common mistakes can make a difference in your case whether you have been hurt in a car accident, work injury or any other type of personal injury. Not reporting pain and how the injury is affecting your work will limit the information documented in your records and will affect the doctor's opinion of your injury. Here are three more common mistakes made during medical treatment for injuries:
8. Stopping Medical Treatment Too Soon or Not Going For Weeks at A Time
While no one wants to imagine that their injury is permanent, failing to continue to treat will not make it go away. Juries are people and it seems that everyone is a Monday Morning Quarterback. Therefore, the insurance company and jury will often believe that when a person stops seeking medical treatment that they are healed. They will tell themselves that “if I was still having problems, then I would have went to the doctor”. While this is probably not true it is the way that humans deal with the risk we all face of sustained permanent injury. Likewise, significant gaps between treatments of say a month or more will be used against you suggesting that you healed from original injury and may have sustained a new one you have not disclosed. If you are still having problems, but your doctor has nothing more to offer so he/she tells you “you are released” or “come back as needed” this means that if your problems do not go away within a few weeks you need to get back to see your doctor. Your doctor may be able to refer you onto a specialist for additional treatment.
9. Failing to Keep Records
You need to keep business cards, bills and/or other records of every medical provider that you see. Your attorney will need this information in order to obtain your records. You should also keep copies of work excuses, restrictions, referrals and other orders given to you. If you need to take the work excuse to your employer, make sure that you also keep a copy which will help with your case later on.
10. Failing to Follow Recommendations for Treatment of Anxiety and/or Depression
Pain, limited activities and disability often cause anxiety and depression following an injury. Conditions like anxiety and depression are just as real as a medical condition that you can see on an x-ray like a broken leg. However, most people cannot overcome these conditions without appropriate medical care and treatment. You can be compensated for psychological conditions caused by your injury so it is important that you tell your doctors if you are having problems and seek appropriate treatment. Unless your mental health issues are properly diagnosed and treated it is unlikely that you will be compensated for them.
Whether you have been injured in a car crash, work injury, motorcycle accident, dog bite or other personal injury accident, you will be seeing a doctor and need to know the mistakes to avoid when dealing with the doctor. Contact us now for a free no risk consultation to learn more about how to protect your injury case.
