Seek Treatment for Personal Injuries From an Auto Accident Right Away
Why Waiting to Seek Treatment for Personal Injuries From an Auto Accident Can Hurt Your Claim.
If you have been injured in an auto accident, your recovery on your claim is everything to you. It is how you will pay for your medical bills, it will be the way your salary is paid back to you if you are unable to work, it is how you will pay for a new car, it is for your pain and suffering, and if you become permanently injured, it is how you are going to afford future medical visits to your doctor for the rest of your life. The bottom line here is that your attorney will do everything he or she can to maximize your recovery.
The insurance companies, on the other hand, have one job: to work around the clock to make sure you get the least amount of money for your claim. Why? Because the insurance companies are for-profit businesses who have a vested interest in taking in dollars from monthly premiums and paying out as little as possible. Thus, to ensure that you get the money you are entitled to, it is optimal to seek medical treatment as soon as possible, and here is why. When the insurance companies begin putting their case together, they will cast a wide net and try to point to any gaps in medical treatment in an attempt to downplay the seriousness of your injuries. Their theory is: if you took time after the accident to start to look for a doctor, you must not have been seriously injured. Otherwise, you would have treated sooner.
You might be thinking to yourself that some injuries do not manifest until days or even weeks after the accident, so how does that theory hold any water? You would be correct, but unfortunately, the longer you wait to treat, the more fuel the insurance companies have to refute your claim for damages.
If you do treat relatively soon after the accident, make sure to keep all documents and records from your medical provider(s).
Medical evidence is key in maximizing your recovery. Even if you treat early on, and the injury does not appear to be substantial on its face, there is a chance that symptoms will emerge at a later point in time. So, it is always a good idea to visit the doctor to monitor any possible injuries after an accident.
In Florida, your medical bills will be paid by what is known as Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage at first. Our state is one of the few remaining “no-fault” states, meaning, instead of mandating every driver be insured with coverage that pays someone else’s medical bills if they are at fault, Florida drivers are only required to have PIP coverage that protects oneself in the event they are injured in an accident, regardless of fault. This coverage does not pay your medical bills forever, though. In fact, this coverage provides only up to $10,000.00 in benefits. That is why it is so important to purchase Uninsured Motorist (UM) coverage in the state of Florida, which covers you to a certain amount in the event you are hit by an uninsured or underinsured driver on the roadways.
GO TO HALE™
After an accident, seek the advice of a personal injury attorney to help you navigate your medical bills and the insurance coverage available to cover them and other damages you may have. The accident attorneys at Hale Law provide free attorney consultations. Even if you have a gap in treatment, give us a call if you have been injured in an auto accident. Our team of attorneys has recovered millions of dollars for our clients and are ready to help you with your claim. Our services come at no cost to you if we do not win. We only get paid if you get paid. Call us today at 941-735-4529 or visit our website at halelaw.com for more information.
