Washington Injury Law Blog

Last time we discussed seeking treatment immediately and following your doctor’s recommendations after you’re injured in car accident that was someone else’s fault.  The next two errors concern the importance of following though on the treatment recommended by your doctor and whether self referring to other types of treatment without first talking to your primary doctor is a good idea.

By avoiding the errors discussed below you take a major step toward eliminating many of the arguments that insurance companies commonly use to attack your case in an attempt to minimize the amount they are willing to pay you.  Errors 3 & 4 to avoid are:

3. Not starting or completing therapy recommended by your doctor. If your doctor instructs you to go to 12 physical therapy treatments over the next six weeks, do it! Don’t let your busy schedule dictate when you’ll get the medical care you need. Delays in starting treatment and stopping before treatment is completed allows the insurance company to argue your injuries weren’t bad or you must have been healed earlier than expected. Protect your case and promptly seek treatment that’s recommended.

4. Self-referring to other types of treatment without consulting your doctor. An injury case is very often dependant on your primary doctor’s expert opinion regarding if you were injured and the severity of that injury. If you go to a chiropractor or other health care provider without first discussing it with your primary doctor it can look like you may be seeking unnecessary care. Keeping your primary doctor in the loop and in your corner protects your case.

By following through on the treatment your doctor recommends and keeping your doctor in the loop on all decisions as to what kind of treatment to seek you continue to build the foundation of your injury case while defeating more of the arguments insurance companies love to make against you. 

In Part III we’ll look at what errors can happened when you skip treatment appointments, fail to disclose preexisting injuries, and don’t have your car or health insurance pay your medical bills.