Medical Treatment Mistakes After an Oak Lawn Car Accident

Most of the time, when someone is in a car wreck, they do not know they are injured or understand the extent of their injuries. Even if the accident may have been relatively minor, it is critical for people involved in car collisions to seek medical attention.

Medical treatment is not only essential for the injured person’s health and recovery but also for their claim, if they chose to file one. To learn more about the medical treatment mistakes after an Oak Lawn car accident, speak with a well-established car accident lawyer today.

Refusing Medical Treatment

A person should seek medical attention following a car accident, even when they do not feel hurt because injuries can take time to develop. Following an accident, a person’s adrenaline may be flowing and they do not notice any pain. Often, muscle pain gets worse the next day. At a minimum, a person should schedule an appointment with their primary care physician within a few days of an accident.

How Could Refusing Treatment Impact a Case?

Also, insurance companies evaluate claims based on medical treatment. They figure people who are hurt go to the doctor and people who do not go to the doctor are not hurt. While this is not always true, it is how insurance companies evaluate claims. When a person has no medical treatment, the insurance company assumes the person is not hurt and there is no settlement.

If a person waits for more than a week to seek their first medical attention, most likely the insurance company will deny their claim. For these reasons, it is important to go the emergency room or see a doctor as soon as possible following an accident.

Not Following Doctor’s Orders

One of the medical treatment mistakes after an Oak Lawn car accident is the injured individual not following the advice of a doctor. Failure to do so can negatively affect a person’s ability to recover damages. An insurance company may argue that by not following their doctor’s advice, the person did not heal as quickly as they would have if they listened to the doctor. Failing to follow medical advice could worsen a person’s condition. For a person’s own health and their personal injury claim, it is important to follow doctor’s orders.

What if There is a Gap in Treatment?

It is important to continue to see a doctor consistently when the person continues to experience symptoms. When the doctor recommends that the person returns for additional care, they should do so. It is not necessary to go to the doctor if the individual is not hurt, but discontinuing treatment too early can hurt their case.

If there is a gap in treatment, an insurance company may not consider the additional treatment. Insurance adjusters rationalize that people who are still hurt continue to see the doctor and those who are recovered do not. For this reason, it is best if the person continues to see the doctor until they are fully recovered.

Reasons Someone May Delay Treatment in Oak Lawn

Following an accident, there are many reasons that make it difficult for someone to seek medical treatment. A person may be too hurt to drive or they do not have a car following an accident. Also, an individual may not have health insurance or the ability to pay for medical treatment. A person’s daily personal responsibilities may make it difficult to see a doctor.

A personal injury attorney may be able to assist someone with getting medical care following an accident. Because medical treatment is so important in a case, you should not allow anything to get in the way of seeing a doctor. Your health and recovery are the priority following an injury. To find out more information about medical treatment mistakes after an Oak Lawn car accident and how legal counsel could help you, contact an experienced lawyer today.