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Tips for the Best Medical Care After an Auto Accident

Injured patient

You should get the best medical care after an auto accident. For one, your medical care’s quality may determine your recovery’s speed. Secondly, your medical care can also affect your auto accident claim. Below are a few tips to help you get the best care possible.

Get Prompt Medical Care. Get medical care as soon as possible — even if you feel you only have minor injuries. Delayed diagnosis will lead to delayed treatment and possible medical complications. Some injuries don’t show up immediately after an accident. The adrenaline rush after the crash can also mask your pain. The only way to get a reliable diagnosis is to consult a healthcare provider.

Consult the Right Professionals. Get emergency medical care from the nearest provider. In some cases, especially if you have serious injuries, you might even be unable to choose your provider. That is all right as long as you get the care you need as soon as possible.
However, ensure you see the right professionals after your emergency care. These tips should help:
  • You should consult a medical doctor since science-based medicine holds more weight with insurance companies and even courts.
  • Look beyond your primary care doctor. Primary care doctors rarely have the expertise to handle traumatic injuries.
  • If you need alternative medical care, get a referral from your doctor to prove the treatment’s necessity.
In many cases, you will need multiple forms of treatment to recover. You may need to see different specialists, alternative treatment providers, and physiotherapists.

Mind Your Mental Health. Auto accidents don’t just cause physical injuries — they also cause mental or emotional injuries. For example, you should suspect mental injuries if:
  • You have trouble sleeping
  • You don’t enjoy social engagements as much as you did before the accident
  • You experience wild mood swings
  • You experience nightmares
  • You develop an unhealthy fear of automobiles
Consult a mental health professional for your mental health. Don’t forget to include the mental treatment bills as part of your medical damages.

Follow Doctors’ Orders. Medical treatments often come with restrictions to aid recovery. Follow your doctor’s advice to the letter if you want to recover fast. For example, the doctor may advise you to:
  • Avoid certain foods
  • Avoid alcohol
  • Limit strenuous activities
  • Enjoy certain hours of rest
Also, you should continue with the treatment for as long as the doctor advises. Don’t stop going for checkups or taking your drugs once you start feeling better.

Apart from helping with your recovery, observing these restrictions is also good for your claim. For example, they can help you prove the mitigation of damages as far as your medical damages are concerned.

Be Honest With Medical Providers. You should be honest with your doctor throughout your treatment. For one, honesty will help the doctor make a timely and accurate diagnosis. That way, the doctor will offer you the right treatment and help you recover fast. Secondly, honesty can help your doctor link your injury to the crash.

Specifically, you shouldn’t:
  • Exaggerate or downplay your injuries
  • Hide preexisting injuries
  • Hide some aspects of the accident, even if they cast you in a bad light
Don’t forget that the insurance company will also scrutinize your medical bills. Your claim might run into a brick wall if the insurance company suspects that you are hiding something.

Hopefully, you will get the medical care you deserve and recover as soon as possible. Don’t forget to settle your case only after you have reached your maximum medical improvement (MMI). Contact Shapiro Injury Law (Formerly know as Shapiro Law Group) for help in processing your auto accident claim. We will review everything and help you pursue the compensation you deserve.

Eric Shapiro, Phoenix Personal Injury Attorney

Eric Shapiro is a highly successful and well-known personal injury and wrongful death attorney who represents individuals and family members who suffered harm as a result of someone else’s actions.

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