What You Need To Know About Getting Medical Treatment

I advise people to prioritize their health over their legal claim. Claims are secondary to your medical treatment and physical well-being. Seeking medical treatment after being injured in North Carolina will help any claim you make because by seeking medical treatment, you have done what would have needed to be done regardless.

How quickly you should seek medical treatment after being injured in North Carolina depends on the nature of your injuries. However, regardless of your specific injuries, waiting several weeks before getting medical treatment is generally not a good practice. This is because insurance company adjusters and attorneys commonly argue that this gap between the car crash and the first treatment indicates you were not hurt as a result of the car accident but instead were hurt after the collision and when you initially sought treatment.

It is important to note that this does not mean you do not have a case if you do not seek medical treatment within 48 hours, for example. However, it does mean that if a few days have passed since the accident and you still experience pain, seeing a doctor would help your case and physical well-being.

Sharing Information With Your Doctors

You should share the information needed to receive the proper medical treatment. In discussions with your medical providers, you will need to disclose information about the injuries you suffered as a result of your accident, as well as the nature of past injuries. I never advise withholding information from a doctor when treatment is in question since the doctor needs to know your background to give you the best care possible.

However, you should not disclose things to the doctor about entirely unrelated things that do not impact your treatment. Considering whether certain information is necessary for the doctor to know to provide you with care is critical. This is because some of what you say is included in your medical records, which are submitted to the insurance company when you file your claim. As a result, the insurance company will see what the doctor wrote about the treatment and will likely use it against you.

Incidentally, many people think insurance companies will not pay them anything in compensation for their injuries because they had a preexisting injury. This is not necessarily the case in North Carolina. If you had a prior injury, but the collision exacerbated it, you could still be compensated for that.

Choosing Your Own Providers

In North Carolina, people can seek medical treatment from any medical provider they wish for their injuries. The other party’s insurance company cannot dictate who you can visit for your care. It may object to settlement to certain medical providers of specific treatment plans, but this is just a part of dealing with insurance companies and disputing personal injury cases.

Why It’s So Crucial To Follow Your Treatment Plan

One of the most common tactics insurance companies employ is arguing that if you were truly injured, you would not have missed any appointments or deviated from your prescribed treatment plan. This is also true if there are any gaps in your treatment. If there is, it will argue that any proof of physical injuries you have resulted from something that occurred during the break in your treatment. Insurance companies also often maintain that the pain you experience results from missing appointments or deviating from your prescribed treatment plan. As such, it is not only vital to not miss appointments or prescribed treatment, but to avoid self-imposed interruptions or gaps in your treatment once started.

For more information on Medical Treatment After Being Injured In NC, a free initial consultation is your next best step. Get the information and legal answers you are seeking by calling (336) 999-0944 today.