After a car accident, you need to see your primary care physician or another doctor as soon as possible. You need to get examined and start treatment for any physical injuries that you may have suffered from the crash. Your treating physician can be an important resource in a legal claim to recover compensation for car accident injuries. However, to maximize your doctor’s ability to contribute to your claim, you should follow these five tips when talking to your doctor about your car accident injuries.
Give a Complete Medical Historhttps://www.gibsonhillpc.com/houston-personal-injury-ay
Your doctor needs to have a full picture of your medical history before they begin treating you for injuries you suffered in a car accident. If you see your primary care physician, they will likely already know your medical history. But if you go to see a doctor for the first time after a car accident, you need to make sure they take a detailed medical history. That way, your doctor can more accurately diagnose injuries and other medical conditions as having been caused by the car accident rather than by something else.
Suppose you fail to tell your treating physician about prior joint or back pain or prior injuries or surgeries. In that case, your doctor did not know about your medical history. That can later be used to discredit their medical opinions about the cause and severity of your car accident injuries.
Make Sure They Know You Are Seeing Them After a Car Accident
You should also ensure that your doctor knows that you are seeing them after having been involved in a car accident. You need to be clear that your pain or other symptoms began after the accident. Let them know that you believe your pain and symptoms are related to the accident.
In addition, it can also be helpful to provide your doctor with details you remember about the crash. These include where your car was hit (e.g., rear-end collision, T-bone collision). Where you were sitting in the vehicle. Whether the airbags deployed. Whether any part of your body hit the inside of the passenger compartment or whether any objects struck you.
Don’t Minimize Your Symptoms and Complaints
Some people may minimize their complaints and symptoms to their doctor. This is either because they don’t think their doctor will believe them. They don’t want to be a “bother” to their doctor or think they need to “tough it out.” However, you should never withhold or minimize the pain or other symptoms you experience with your doctor. Don’t exaggerate your symptoms. Provide your honest subjective description of your condition. Let your doctor determine the type and severity of your injuries.
Understand Your Treatment Plan and Prognosis
After you’ve suffered injuries in a car accident, you need to know what your treatment will involve and what your doctor expects for your prognosis at the end of your treatment plan. Ask your doctor about the treatment you are expected to undergo and what kind of recovery you will make. This will help you prepare physically and emotionally for medical recovery. It will also help you calculate your losses and expenses for which you might seek financial compensation in a car accident claim or lawsuit.
Confirm Whether You Still Can Work
Finally, you should talk to your doctor about your ability to work. If your doctor diagnoses you with injuries from an accident, you should not return to full-time, unrestricted work if doing so would affect your recovery. Instead, you should ask your doctor whether you should return to work with your injuries. If you can work, you also need to confirm whether you require any accommodations for your injuries, such as restrictions on lifting weight or standing or the number of hours you work.
Contact Our Car Accident Attorneys Today for Help in Pursuing Your Claim
If you have been hurt in a car crash that was caused by a negligent or reckless driver or other party, call Gibson Hill Personal Injury at 713-659-4000 or use our website’s contact form for a free, no-obligation consultation to speak with our car accident attorneys about your case. After an accident, we can review your legal rights and options and discuss how we can help you pursue fair and full financial recovery for your injuries.
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