Partner at Charbonnet Law Firm LLC
Practice Areas: Car Accident, Slip-and-Fall, Work-related Injury
Car accidents are not only extremely stressful and overwhelming, but they can often lead to catastrophic injuries, debilitating pain, and a slew of other issues that can forever change your life.
However, what makes this situation even worse, is that many people avoid getting the medical help they need following one of these devastating accidents. Often, victims either believe their injuries are not severe enough for medical intervention, are too scared to find out how significant their injuries actually are, or are worried about the medical expenses that can result.
Yet, if you have been involved in a motor vehicle accident, you must seek medical treatment following your crash. Not only are these treatments vital for your health and safety, but they can also protect your legal rights and ensure you go after the compensation and damages you deserve.
Unfortunately, millions of individuals suffer a horrific injury from a car accident every year. That is why getting medical attention needs to be a top priority for anyone that has been involved in a vehicle crash. Even though lawyers often recommended that you try to collect evidence from an accident scene following a collision, this recommendation only applies when an individual can do so. If you suffered a severe injury following your car accident, you need to instantly call 911 or head to the emergency room to get treated.
Yet, even if you do not need immediate medical treatment, you still need to see your primary care doctor as soon as possible following your car crash. Many times serious injuries such as traumatic brain injuries can remain hidden for days to even weeks before symptoms manifest. However, the longer you wait to get examined, the more severe the injury can become, often leading to devastating consequences.
Not only is it important to get examined by your doctor for any hidden and severe injuries, but getting this treatment can be incredibly vital for your claim. As your doctor is treating you, they will write down everything they learn about your injuries in your medical records. Why is this important? Because it will help form a direct link between the accident and your injuries, which will become critical evidence if the insurance company or the defense tries to argue that your condition resulted from a subsequent event or a pre-existing condition.
In addition, once you receive your initial medical treatment, you need to make sure you listen to your doctor’s advice. Personal injuries can take quite a toll on your health. Following your physician’s orders, attending physical therapy, taking your medications, and not rushing back to your daily routine can help your recovery in the long run. Preventing things from going from bad to worse.
Most people assume that the insurance company will want to work with them following a car accident, especially if the accident was not their fault. However, this is rarely the case. Insurance companies, like other businesses, want to make a profit. By denying your claim or offering you less than you are owed, they accomplish this goal. That is why the insurance company will look for any evidence that can show your pain and injuries are not valid.
If you delay your medical treatments following a personal injury accident, it gives the insurance company the proof they need to argue that your injury is not that severe. Consequently, they will try to settle your claim for less money than you need and use your medical treatment delay as an argument for providing you a meager settlement amount.
Another way the insurance company will try to deny your claim is by creating a narrative that your injuries resulted from a different event and not from the car accident you were in. For instance, if you wait to get medical help following your crash, the insurance company will try to propose that your injury occurred because of another incident that happened after the accident in question. Your lawyer may try to argue against these statements by using photographs of the accident that show your visible injuries. However, if your injuries are not clearly visible, it will be hard to prove that the insurance company is wrong unless you have a medical report confirming otherwise.
Following your car accident, you must tell your doctor everything you can about your medical history. This means that you must let them know about any previous injuries you had or any pre-existing conditions that remain, especially in the area of the body that was harmed in the crash.
If you do not, the insurance company can come back and argue that you were hiding information from the doctors and that your diagnosis is not accurate. Besides, if you do not fully disclose everything to your doctors, they may not understand how the accident caused your injuries.
If you do not listen to your doctors or follow up with them regarding your treatments. This can significantly impact your health and make the insurance company suspicious that your injury is not as serious as you say it is. Which can ultimately provide the insurance company the evidence they need to lower the amount of money they give you or deny your claim altogether. That is why listening to your doctor is vital for a smooth recovery and ensuring you do not provide the insurance company any reason to deny your claim.
If you have been involved in a motor vehicle accident, it is not only necessary to seek medical help following your crash. But you also need to reach out to an experienced personal injury attorney as quickly as possible. Many times these personal injury claims are incredibly tedious, confusing, and detail-oriented. Plus, the insurance company is on the hunt, trying to do anything they can to reduce the amount of your claim.
For these reasons, it is essential to work with a personal injury lawyer you can trust. At the Charbonnet Law Firm, LLC, our attorneys have years of experience handling these problematic injury claims and fighting for our client’s rights and the damages they deserve. To help you get through this challenging ordeal, our attorneys can:
If you live in the greater New Orleans area and would like more information regarding your case or a free case evaluation. Contact Charbonnet Law Firm, LLC today or call our office at (504)294-3910 to learn how we can help you.
With over 50 years of legal experience serving families in the New Orleans area and surrounding Louisiana communities, our firm takes pride in providing clients with personalized legal services tailored to individual needs.
