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If you or someone you care about has been hurt in a car accident, medical evidence is very important. It is one of the biggest factors in deciding how much the claim is worth. Medical evidence includes your medical records both before and after the car accident, medical tests, medical imaging like MRIs, CT scans, x-rays, doctors’ opinions, and more.
You should make sure that you have the best medical evidence in your claim by telling all of your medical providers everything that hurts and the problems you are having at home and work because of your car accident-related injuries.
6 tips when dealing with medical evidence:
1. Bring Notes
Your medical records become a crucial part of your car accident claim. Doctors and other medical providers are sometimes in a rush and will not take the time that you feel is needed for a medical appointment. This can lead to you forgetting to tell the nurses and doctors about every problem you are experiencing.
If you have multiple injuries or issues from the car accident, make a list of them on paper and bring it to your appointments. This can help you keep track and ensure that all your medical issues and problems are put into the medical records. If the problem is not in your medical records, the insurance claims adjuster will likely ignore your problems as they are not in the medical records.
2. Be a Complainer
There are very few people who like going to the doctor and even fewer people who want to believe that their injuries are going to be permanent.
Remember, everything you tell your medical providers will likely end up in your medical records. If your doctor asks you how you are doing and you say “fine”, that is what the insurance adjuster and ultimately a judge or jury will be reading. If you are not fine and are having pain and problems, then please tell all of your medical providers about this. There is a fine line between being thorough with your medical problems and being a complainer, which some doctors may label as a “faker” or “malingerer”.
You should not make up problems that you do not have or exaggerate your symptoms, as this will likely damage your claim in the long run. However, you do need to be thorough in describing the problems and how they are impacting your life.
3. Follow Through with Recommendations
If your doctor recommends that you attend PT (physical therapy), pain management treatment, or other forms of medical treatment, then you should follow through with the recommendations otherwise, you will face problems with your claim.
For example, if you're undergoing physical therapy but feel it's not helping, schedule a follow-up with your doctor, as there may be alternative treatment options. In some cases, physical therapy can worsen a condition, and surgery might be necessary. However, stopping treatment on your own could not only risk your health but also potentially decrease the value of your claim.
some people have a fear of needles or valid reasons for avoiding certain medical treatments. However, it's important to explore all available treatment options. Keep in mind that you should explore all treatment options, and failing to proceed with medical care that most people view as standard may reduce the value of your claim.
4. Asking for a Referral
If you have exhausted all treatment recommendations from your treating doctor but still are not better, then you should ask for a referral for additional medical care.
Your doctor may refer patients to a pain management clinic for treatment or instead send them to a pain management and physical medicine physician known as a physiatrist, not to be confused with a mental health doctor known as a psychiatrist.
No matter who you are referred to, if you are still experiencing pain at the end of your treatment, inform your medical providers and request further evaluation or referral for additional treatment options.
5. Seek Out Reputable Doctors
If you are taken to the hospital and require immediate surgery, you likely have little to no choice in selecting your surgeon, as the procedure will typically be performed by the on-call surgeon. However, if you are referred to a surgeon, pain management physician, or other medical provider after being discharged from the hospital and have time to research, take the opportunity to learn about the provider and their reputation before proceeding with treatment.
There are dozens of doctors throughout the state of Iowa who are routinely hired by insurance companies to say injuries were not caused by the car accident at issue. Other doctors have a bad reputation for having a higher number of bad outcomes following surgery. You want to avoid being treated by a doctor who is biased toward insurance companies or has a poor reputation. Consider consulting a qualified Iowa personal injury attorney, as they likely have extensive experience with doctors across the state and can help guide you to the right medical providers.
If you have a question about a doctor, you have been referred to or a doctor that wants you to have surgery then feel free to call one of our Iowa Personal Injury attorneys who will provide a no-cost evaluation of your car accident claim and give you the information that you need about the doctor.
6. Don’t Give Up
Dealing with injuries from a car accident and navigating the insurance claims process can be incredibly frustrating. In many cases, insurance adjusters are trained to make the process difficult in hopes that you will settle quickly for less than you deserve. Be cautious about what you believe from the adjuster—for example, if they ask you to send your medical bills, that doesn’t necessarily mean they will cover them.
If you choose not to submit your medical expenses to your health insurance because you believe the other driver’s insurance should cover them, you risk being personally responsible for those bills. For example, what if your medical bills are $50,000 and the other driver only has state minimum policy limits of $20,000?
If you wait too long to have your health insurance cover your medical expenses, you may end up owing the difference. Insurance adjusters often ask you to send them the bills because they want you to start receiving collection calls from the medical providers This delay can lead to unpaid bills, exceeding available insurance coverage, and putting more pressure on you to settle for less.
To protect yourself, it’s almost always best if you tell your medical providers to submit bills to your health insurance company. This ensures your medical expenses are covered and helps you avoid harassment from collection agencies.
Getting Help From An Attorney
If you or a loved one have been injured in a car accident in Iowa you probably have other questions and concerns. If you would like help right away give us a call at 641-792-3595 as our phones are answered 24 hours per day. If an attorney is not immediately available an appointment will be scheduled for the next business day. There is no cost or obligation to speak with one of our Iowa car accident attorneys.
If you are not yet ready to speak with an attorney but would like to learn more, claim your copy of our book entitled The Legal Insider's Guide to Iowa Car Accidents: 7 Secrets to Not Wreck Your Case. We offer our book at no cost or risk to you because we have seen far too many Iowans make costly mistakes.
Finally, you can learn about Iowa laws that affect your case in the comfort of your own home. Claim your copy now.
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