Why It’s Important to Follow Your Doctor’s Instructions Following an Accident
Now that you’ve initiated a personal injury claim, you might wonder what your responsibility is. You have an attorney working on your case, but how can you protect your claim and maximize your chance of a fair and full settlement? Following your doctor’s orders is a big part of this. If you show that you are focused on recovering from your injury and not trying to milk your personal injury claim, it will be much harder for the insurance company to deny you.
Learn more about what to do after you initiate a personal injury claim, and for more personalized advice regarding your claim, call Reeves & Mestayer at 228-374-5151.
Creating a Thorough Paper Trail for Your Injury
Documentation is key in any personal injury claim, and you can bet that the liable party’s insurance company will be looking for any holes in your story. A thorough log of your medical appointments and your efforts to follow your doctor’s orders can only help your case. That’s one reason that it’s recommended that you seek medical care immediately after an accident. Doing so starts a paper trail that directly ties your injury to the accident. You want medical records showing that any new or continuing symptoms are a direct result of the accident, not because of a new injury.
Showing Your Commitment to Healing
A personal injury claim might feel like work, and in many ways, it is. Part of your job during this time is to focus on recovering from your injury so you can get back to work and back to normal life. Following your doctor’s recommendations and orders shows that you are seeking care in good faith, not simply drawing out the amount of time you’re injured for a bigger settlement.
Failing to follow your doctor’s instructions can be very bad for your claim. Consider a situation in which your doctor recommends surgery to treat your injury. The surgery has a good chance of healing your injury and allowing you to return to work after six weeks. You turn down the surgery and continue to struggle through recovery, leaving you out of work for much longer than six weeks. The insurance company might refuse to pay any settlement, claiming that your extended injury is due to your choice to ignore your doctor’s orders.
Avoiding Unintended Consequences
Failing to follow your doctor’s orders could actually make your injuries worse. If you go too long without taking necessary steps in treatment, your body can start to adjust to your injuries. This often puts extra strain on other parts of the body and puts theme at greater risk of injury. Your doctor knows this and will make their care recommendations accordingly.
Protecting the Value of Your Claim and Your Health
Remember, protecting your claim isn’t the only goal during this time. You also have to do what is best for your health. A solid claim that leaves you with lifelong injuries isn’t nearly as good as a solid claim with treatable injuries. Not only is following your doctor’s orders best for your personal injury claim, it is generally what is best for your health.
This makes it an easy choice to follow your doctor’s orders. It benefits you in every way and has a minimal chance of harming you. If you operate in good faith and do your best to recover from your injuries, the insurance company will struggle to poke holes in your claim and deny you fair compensation.
If you’re uncertain about whether or not you should follow your doctor’s orders, discuss your concerns with your attorney. Your attorney has seen many personal injury claims and they know what slip-ups can put your claim in danger. They can tell you what may happen if you ignore your doctor’s advice and how that choice may affect your claim. Your attorney has your best interests in mind.
Find Out How Reeves & Mestayer Can Help
Not sure what your next step is after a personal injury? Let Reeves & Mestayer guide you through this process. Learn more about your legal options by calling us at 228-374-5151 or contacting our team online. We look forward to working with you.
