Atlanta Refusing Medical Treatment
When a car accident occurs, it can be common for people to brush aside medical treatment to avoid the hassle of getting checked or dealing with their health insurance. However, it is important to make sure that you address any medical issues as soon as possible if you were involved in a car crash. Avoiding or delaying medical treatment following a crash can later complicate recovering for the injuries you suffered. A skilled Atlanta car wreck lawyer can advise you on the dangers of refusing medical treatment after a car accident in Atlanta.
Why Do Individuals Avoid Medical Care After They Have Been Hurt in a Car Accident?
Despite getting hurt in an accident, many people in Atlanta do not seek medical care to avoid additional costs and inconveniences, as insurance companies often do not pay for these expenses upfront. Additionally, people typically find themselves balancing multiple financial and time constraints after car accidents, which can impede their ability to pursue necessary medical care.
After car accidents, people typically want to assume the best, that they will get better, and avoid the inconvenience of having to visit a hospital or tangle with insurance. Your health and well-being should be your priority and it is important to promptly seek care and be open about the pain you are experiencing. It is not the time to be tough.
Refusing Immediate Medical Treatment Can Be a Mistake
Refusing immediate medical treatment at the scene of an accident in Atlanta can be a mistake because insurance companies or defendants often use this refusal as evidence the individual was not badly injured. It is common for people to not appreciate the severity of their injuries immediately after a car accident and for the injuries to manifest or evolve as time passes. Someone who claims to feel okay at the scene of an accident could still have sustained serious injuries and it is important that they not brush off the pain that they experience.
People should be direct and honest at accident scenes. If they feel sore but want to go home and rest before seeking medical care, they should express that and do so. However, they should seek medical treatment if it is needed, as their health is and always should be their number one priority.
Following a Doctor’s Orders After a Car Wreck in Atlanta
Similar to a reluctance to not initially seek treatment, it is not uncommon for a person to want to avoid ongoing or follow-up treatment. However, not following the doctor’s orders or failing to follow up with medical treatment after a car accident could be a mistake because an insurance company or jury might use that information to determine whether or not an injured individual is doing all they can to maximize their recovery or is in fact seriously hurt. It is important for injured claimants to do as their doctors recommend for their own well-being and so that their medical treatment provides accurate insight into the nature and extent of their ongoing injuries.
An injured individual should regularly follow up with their providers and be honest and open about the extent of their pain or medical issues, regardless of whether or not those issues have been discussed previously. It is not uncommon for symptoms to change or evolve over time and the most important thing is that the injured individual timely and accurately inform their providers as to how they are doing.
How Do Treatment Gaps Hurt a Claimant’s Case?
Gaps in medical treatment can hurt a claimant’s case because they provide the defense with a basis for claiming that the individual is either not as injured as they claim to be or something else must have happened to cause a new injury. The defense often leverages treatment gaps in an effort to diminish the extent of someone’s injuries.
People should consistently treat their injuries to the extent that their provider recommends it or have a reasonable explanation for the suspension of their treatment. For example, an individual may have a doctor’s recommendation to take time before seeking further care or they may have other life events that understandably require some time away from treatment.
Speak with a Atlanta Car Accident Lawyer in About the Dangers of Refusing Medical Treatment
While there are likely many thoughts and worries going through someone’s head after a severe car accident, the decision to seek medical attention should not be one of them. Injured drivers should not refuse medical treatment after a car accident in Atlanta as that may not only negatively affect their health but also any potential claim. Call now to receive a free consultation and learn if an experienced local attorney can help you fight to recover damages you are entitled to as a result of a motor vehicle wreck.
