There’s a series of questions that come in after a crash. Do you need medical attention? Will a paramedic give you an honest answer on whether you should go to the doctor or not? Is an urgent care center good enough? Can you initiate your claim without a medical exam?
These questions are all very reasonable. There are some clear-cut answers, but other questions come with a bit of finesse. Not everything related to your medical care is simple to answer. However, we can help you understand the role of medical exams, the purpose they serve, and when you should be most concerned.
Get Yourself Checked Out
Many doctors and people working within chiropractic care see injuries from car accidents daily. Unfortunately, they seem them much later than they should. A particular medical practice dedicated to spinal care notes that there are six primary injuries from car accident trauma that could quickly turn deadly if not addressed immediately.
While you might notice a laceration across your chest or a puncture to your abdomen, you may not realize a neck injury. Additional injuries, including head injuries, fractures of the skull, ribs, or other bones, and dislocation of various joints, can become complex and difficult to treat if not identified right away.
Don’t Disagree to an Independent Medical Exam
While the idea is that an Independent Medical Exam is from an unbiased party, you might have particular issues in knowing which doctor you’re going to visit. For example, it is truly unbiased if your insurance company or the at-fault driver’s insurance policy requests you to go to a specific office?
Additionally, not all doctors will conduct IME exams. It has become so that the doctor’s conducting these exams will often side with the insurance provider. However, that doesn’t mean that you’re not getting coverage. What it means is that you might need another opinion to reinforce your medical team’s determination. Additionally, the doctor conducting the IME will need to carefully evaluate where they stand in terms of the documentation that’s already in your medical file.
Never Hesitate to Get a Second Opinion
Even after an IME, you can still get a second opinion or a third opinion. What you’re looking to accomplish is to either confirm or correct the initial diagnosis. Keep in mind that a misdiagnosis or the diagnosis of a doctor hoping to get a big payday from an insurance company isn’t your fault. You don’t sit there scheming and plotting with doctors to put yourself through extensive pain and physical injury.
If it seems like one doctor and another has something entirely different to say, then bring in another medical professional. Especially if it looks like your medical team and the IME had completely different findings.
A Medical Exam is Necessary to Explore All the Injuries
If you have some aches and pains, they might be the only red flags that there’s something more serious wrong. Bulging or injured discs, for example, often cause little more than a bit of pain at first. Over the years, a disc injury may put you out of work, or even make you bound to the home, unable to do simple tasks such as grocery shopping without great pain.
Never opt-out of a medical exam because you only feel a little sore. The idea that anyone should feel sore after a crash is completely wrong because if your body is telling you that any part of it is in pain, you should listen. Take notes from your body and get a medical exam.
An Attorney Would Encourage You to See a Doctor
Aside from the fact of an attorney wanting you to take the time to see a doctor, it’s vital to go through the process. Getting a medical exam can help you establish that you got the necessary medical help after a crash. It can also help to establish that you attempted to go through all the motion in the event that you have an invisible injury.
At The Weinstein Firm, we encourage every car accident victim to get a full examination. Our purpose in this encouragement is to ensure that you have had a full discussion with a doctor, and there’s been the opportunity to address any of your aches or pains. A medical exam is necessary, but always make sure that you work with your medical team, not just against the insurance company’s independent medical exam requirements. Call our Atlanta, Georgia motor vehicle accident law firm to initiate your claim and file your demand letter.
