When making any injury claim, it is necessary to prove not only what your injuries consisted of, but also the severity of those injuries.
Many people are so busy instantly dealing with trying to find alternative transportation and making arrangements to work around the loss of a motor vehicle that they often delay seeking appropriate medical treatment. Additionally, people often delay receiving appropriate medical treatment under a misguided hope that their pain will “just go away”. Refusing immediate medical treatment after a Western PA truck accident is almost always a mistake. Medical records could help a truck crash attorney build a strong injury case. Early documentation of an injury is extremely important.
There are several factors that may prevent people in Western PA and Indiana, PA from prioritizing seeking medical treatment even after they have been hurt in a truck crash. One factor is the expense of care. Many people do not realize that in an auto accident, regardless of who was at fault, a victim’s auto insurance company will pay his or her medical bills under the medical benefits portion of his or her coverage.
The state minimum in Pennsylvania for medical benefits coverage is $5,000, and that is what most people carry on their policies. After that coverage is exhausted by payment of that full sum of coverage, the responsibility for paying bills associated with collision-related medical care then shifts to the person’s health insurance, if he or she has coverage.
Other life circumstances might also prevent people from seeking treatment. People have families and jobs that need and deserve their attention. However, these busy schedules often make it difficult to obtain timely and proper medical care. When an individual adds the course of extended therapy or extended treatment to that daily “To Do” list, it could make things difficult.
If a person suspects he or she may have any injuries or is in pain following an auto wreck of any kind, he or she should get immediate medical treatment. This could prove to be beneficial both medically and legally.
From a medical standpoint, injuries should be evaluated and treated to facilitate the best possible recovery outcome. This is particularly important for injuries like concussions or other head injuries requiring prompt treatment. Left untreated, an accident victim runs the risk of the condition becoming permanent or having to endure a prolonged period of recovery.
From a legal standpoint in the injury case, a medical professional could help prove that the collision caused the injuries and that all treatment was reasonable and necessary for the collision-related injuries. Your attorney collects medical records from your treating physician and may use him or her as an expert witness in your trial. This helps to build a solid case and yield a better legal outcome for you.
Likewise, a treatment gap could hurt a victim’s case because it might be used as evidence to support an argument that the person was no longer hurt or that there was no injury. The gap could also give credence to the position that the injury was caused by something else when treatments resume after a gap.
From a legal perspective, prompt treatment helps to maximize the recoverable truck accident damages by showing that there has been a consistent pattern of care for the injuries suffered in the collision. Otherwise, the insurance company will try to convince the jury that the person was not seriously hurt because he or she was not being treated.
Following a truck collision, it is important to seek immediate medical care if you suspect an injury. This is not only beneficial for your health, but it could also help you build a stronger case against a negligent truck driver. Contact an experienced personal injury lawyer familiar with truck accidents immediately to begin discussing your options toward obtaining a financial recovery.
Marcus & Mack
