The first and foremost reason for filing a Florida personal injury claim is to seek compensation for your injuries. While your injuries may be obvious, you’ll still need to provide medical evidence that they do exist. Many injuries after an accident may not be visible, which must be proven. This is accomplished with medical examinations and expert medical opinions.
If you’ve been injured and are considering filing a compensation claim, an accident claim professional at Freidin Brown may be able to help. Their compassionate team of legal experts can ensure that you receive the best possible compensation for your suffering.
The Importance of Medical Treatment and Your Personal Injury Claim
After an accident, insurance companies don’t dole out settlements to the injured party after an accident. There’s a long process of investigation and negotiation, and it’s the injured parties’ burden to prove that they were harmed due to a person or entity’s negligence. This is accomplished by providing what’s known as medical evidence. Victims don’t have legal proof of being harmed without medical treatment.
Another benefit of seeking fast medical examinations after an accident is to identify all of your injuries. During an accident, the victim’s body is flooded with endorphins and other altering chemicals that can mask pain and injuries. To ensure your safety, seek medical care as soon as possible.
To be offered a settlement, the victim must first prove that negligence occurred, that it caused them injuries, and that these injuries caused damages. Failure to seek and continue medical treatment will invalidate any compensation claim. Here’s a look at the importance of medical examinations in a personal injury claim.
Medical Evidence
To prove your injuries, you’ll need to gather medical evidence. This is the strongest way to prove the injuries you sustained due to someone’s negligent act. Medical evidence is paramount in a personal injury claim. It proves that you’ve sought medical care and provides a medical paper trail of your injuries and treatment plan. Common types of medical evidence can include:
- Emergency room intake and discharge paperwork
- First responders notes
- Doctors’ notes and prognosis
- All medical records relating to the car crash or incident causing your injuries
- X-rays, MRIs, and CAT scan images
- Expert medical opinion testimony
- Physical therapists and chiropractors’ treatment plans
- Lists of all medications prescribed
Expert Opinions
If you suffer from severe injuries that require long-term treatment, sworn testimony by your doctors, surgeons, and even unbiased third-party medical experts will help prove your injuries’ severity. Sometimes, insurance companies will deny compensation for long-term treatment if there’s any doubt about your condition. Expert opinions can help to sway things in your direction.
Determining the Value of Your Claims
The main point of filing a personal injury claim is to be compensated for all the damages the accident caused you. While some of them may be obvious, such as medical bills, others aren’t so clear. With the help of a personal injury attorney, you can not only gather the strongest medical evidence to prove your injuries, but it’ll also help to place a value on your claim. You could claim both economic and non-economic damages.
Economic damages can include:
- Past, current, and expected medical bills
- Past, current, and expected lost earnings
- Loss of ability to maintain the household
- All out-of-pocket expenses for OTC medications and devices
- The costs of physical therapy, chiropractic care, and mental health services
Non-economic damages can include:
- Loss of consortium
- Mental pain and anguish
- Scarring and disfigurement
Without a paper trail of medical appointments, procedures, surgeries, and other interventions related to your injuries, there’s no way to determine the value of your claim. Seeking medical treatment and preserving the evidence of it is of utmost importance when filing a personal injury claim.
What To Do if You’ve Been Injured in an Accident to Preserve Your Rights
To ensure that you’re compensated for all of your injuries and damages after an accident, it’s key that you follow three important steps. Failure to do so could result in a lessening of compensation or a complete denial of your claim.
- Get medical care – It is imperative to seek medical attention immediately after the accident and maintain your treatment.
- Hire a personal injury firm – Working with a seasoned attorney ensures you have a team of accident experts.
- File your claim quickly – Florida’s personal injury statute of limitations keeps you on your toes. Attempting to file after this time has passed will result in a denial of claims.
The Importance of Medical Examinations in Florida Personal Injury Claims Explained
You’ll need solid proof of your injuries and damages to receive compensation for an accident caused by someone’s negligence. The only way to do this is to seek medical attention as soon as possible after an accident. Delaying medical care is a red flag to insurance companies and could result in a lessening or complete denial of your claims.
All accident victims should also seek out a qualified personal injury attorney who can guide them through the claims process. Doing so without legal representation will result in a loss of compensation. Don’t attempt to file a claim alone. Hire a professional today.
