Can Returning to Work Too Soon Hurt Your Personal Injury Claim?
After you’ve been injured, the stressors just keep piling up. Not only do you have the stress of the initial accident and your injuries, but you also have to worry about the medical bills that start coming in the mail. Even worse, you’re out of work, so paying those bills or any other bills seems impossible. Knowing all of this, it’s no surprise that some people go back to work before they’re really ready.
However, doing so can hurt not only your physical health but your personal injury claim as well. Learn more about why you should wait, and to get more personalized advice regarding your claim, call Reeves & Mestayer at 228-300-2754.
Your Recovery Must Be Your Priority
If you’re worried about money after a personal injury, you’re not alone. Many people say that the financial stress of an accident is even worse than their injuries. Despite this, you have to make your health your top priority at this time. Pushing your body past its limits before it’s ready can have a detrimental effect on your health that lasts forever, permanently limiting your mobility and independence.
When to Resume Work
It’s important to go back to work at the right time and for the right reasons. Financial stress shouldn’t be the main factor determining when you go back to work, as this can force you to ignore your body and put it at risk of further harm. Instead, you should listen to your treating physician and let them guide your return to work and other activities.
Many factors go into your return to work, and your doctor can help determine what the right timeframe is for you. For example, you might feel relatively healthy and ready to go while at home. However, your body may not yet be able to withstand the rigors of your workday. If you are on certain pain medications or medications that cause dizziness, going back to work could actually put you or others in danger.
Your doctor will also want to make sure that you are fully ready to resume work before sending you back. Imagine, for example, returning to work too early. You work for a few days, only to realize that you can’t yet return to your previous level of activity. At that point, it’s harder to get approval to be away from work for even longer, which can put your job in jeopardy.
What Can Happen If You Go Back Too Early
If you ignore your doctor’s advice and go back to work before it’s recommended, you could be putting your health in serious danger. If your body is still healing, pushing it to go back to work may hinder your recovery and actually force you to take more time off. You could even prevent your body from making a full recovery, which could require you to limit your work and other obligations permanently.
On top of that, going back to work too early could be disastrous for your personal injury claim. As an accident victim, you are expected to do what you can to support your recovery and minimize the damage of the accident.
Going back to work against medical recommendations is the opposite of that. In fact, it is worsening the damage and puts you in a position of requiring more care. At that point, the insurance company is likely to push back and ask why they should pay any of your damages if you aren’t doing your part to limit further damage. They may also ask where the limit is—what damage was caused by the accident, what was caused by your early return to work, and how do they know they aren’t overpaying?
Make Sure to Listen to Your Lawyer’s Advice
This is just one reason you should have a personal injury attorney advocating for you throughout this entire process. They can help you avoid mistakes that could cost you thousands of dollars.
Reach Out to Reeves & Mestayer Now
The team at Reeves & Mestayer is your next stop. With our extensive background in personal injury law, we can advocate for you and fight for the compensation you are owed. Schedule your free consultation right away by calling us at 228-300-2754 or sending us a message online.
