If you’ve been injured in an accident, you should act quickly. The outcome of a personal injury case can be greatly affected by what you do right after the accident, and you may not have much evidence if you wait too long.
For accidents of any kind, health and safety are the number one priority. You should get immediate medical attention for anyone who needs it, before you start thinking about filing a lawsuit. And even after your injuries have been treated, doctors play an important role in personal injury cases.
How your doctor can help your case
Medical records can be used as evidence to support your claim that you’ve suffered real and serious injuries. Generally speaking, courts will trust the word of a qualified medical practitioner over the word of someone directly involved in the case.
To use this to your advantage, get medical records as soon as possible after you’ve been treated. These records should be:
- Complete. At the very least, you need a description of your injuries, their severity, and the treatments you’re receiving for them. If you’ve had x-rays or other lab tests, get copies of the results.
- Timely. The longer you wait to seek medical treatment after an injury, the less credibility you’ll have. If you put off seeking treatment, courts will question the severity of your injuries or their connection to the accident.
- Relevant. Medical records should support the claims you’re making about your injuries. If you exaggerate, omit details, or try to pass off a pre-existing condition as a new one, you’ll lose your case. Worse, you may be sanctioned by the court if you make a false statement on purpose.
A doctor’s opinion carries a lot of weight in the courtroom.
How your doctor may be hurting your case
Not all doctors are equally qualified to comment on a case. A doctor who works on too many personal injury cases, or advertises about them, may be seen as biased towards patients. When looking for a doctor to help with your case, look for possible conflicts of interest like this.
In other cases, a patient may be receiving treatment from an alternative medicine practitioner. Often, these professionals are not doctors, and their statements may not be as useful. Be sure to check the credentials of anyone who’s treating your injuries, and if you opt for nontraditional treatments, get a referral from your physician.
Getting help
Your doctor is an important part of your personal injury case from start to finish, and you should get one as soon as possible after you’ve been in an accident.
Additionally, you may consider enlisting the help of a personal injury attorney. For a free consultation, contact our offices by phone, email, or text message. We can help you with any questions or concerns you may have about your own case. Get started today!