Don’t Downplay Your Injuries After an Accident
It is not always easy to know the full scope of your injuries immediately after an accident. Any of your symptoms, including those that appear minor, may improve, get worse, or stay the same. If you are thinking of making a personal injury claim, don’t downplay your injuries after an accident. Failing to mention pain or injury to a body part after an accident may cause insurance companies and defense lawyers to later question your injuries and whether they were caused by an accident. For individuals pursuing personal injury claims, downplaying your injuries or symptoms can be a roadblock to recovery.
Injuries Can Take Time to Appreciate
When you first see a healthcare provider after an accident, be sure to mention to that healthcare provider each area of your body where you feel pain – even if you believe that the pain is minor or will go away on its own. Assuming an injury will resolve on its own can create significant hurdles if you later decided that you would like to include that injury as part of your personal injury claim. The truth is, patients and doctors alike may not fully appreciate the extent of injuries until weeks or months after an accident. Injuries can take time to manifest, may be masked by pain in other areas of your body, or require MRI or other imaging to diagnose. After an accident, be sure to tell your healthcare providers about any injuries you may have sustained. Don’t downplay any of your injuries, assume they will go away, or neglect to mention them. If you do, your medical records may become an impediment to successfully recovering the full value of your personal injury claim.
Failing to Document Your Injuries
In order to prove your personal injury case, you will likely need to support your claim with medical records and testimony from your treating healthcare providers. Your healthcare providers can only document what you tell them. If you fail to share with them an injury or symptom, your records may wrongfully suggest what you did not suffer an injury when in fact you did. Communicating to your healthcare providers all injuries and symptoms you have after an accident will allow them to appropriately document your injuries and give your attorney the necessary proof to win your case.
Choose the Right Attorney
Downplaying your injuries after an accident is one of many pitfalls potential clients face when making a personal injury claim. Our attorneys can help you avoid these pitfalls and reach a fair settlement. Contact our team for a free and confidential case evaluation, or to learn more about pursuing a personal injury case.