How Does My Medical Treatment Affect My Car Accident Case?
A car accident can cause debilitating injuries, impacting your ability to work, maintain relationships, and embrace all the joys that life has to offer. The losses from a collision can result in financial, emotional, and physical detriments. This can often deplete a person’s nest egg, which you may have worked your entire life to build.
At Raybin & Weissman, our legal team is committed to helping accident victims find a new lease on life. We believe that injury victims should not pay a cent out of pocket for an accident caused by another party. In this blog, our Nashville car accident attorneys discuss our tips for receiving medical treatment following an accident to ensure maximum compensation.
Document Your Injuries
After moving your vehicle to a safe location, if you are able to do so, take pictures of any visible injuries. Photographic evidence can show the extent and severity of your injuries, which may subside once you receive medical care. If you are unable to take photos, feel free to ask any able-bodied passengers to lend a helping hand.
Seek Treatment Immediately
In the aftermath of a crash, it is important that you assess yourself for injuries. If you are experiencing shortness of breath, chest pain, or uncontrollable bleeding, you should visit an ER. If your injuries are less serious, you may consider going to urgent care or scheduling an appointment with your primary care physician as soon as possible. No matter which course of treatment you choose, be sure to be evaluated sooner rather than later. In waiting, it may be more difficult to prove that your injuries were caused by the accident.
Avoid Gaps in Treatment
Be aware that any gaps in treatment may be seen by the insurance company as a sign that your injuries are not severe. This can cause a claims adjuster to devalue your injuries, offering you far less than what your claim is really worth. To avoid a reduced settlement or claim denial, receive consistent care. If you are pausing treatment due to lack of funds, reach out to a Nashville car accident lawyer to learn which payment options may be available to you.
Gather All Medical Records to Recover Noneconomic Damages
Although noneconomic damages, such as pain and suffering, infliction of emotional distress, and mental anguish, are subjective in nature, they are based on your total economic damages. Tennessee Code §29-39-102 limits recovery for noneconomic damages in car accident cases to $750,000 per plaintiff. However, this cap is raised to $1 million if you suffered a catastrophic injury. A catastrophic injury may include spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and severe burns.
At Raybin & Weissman, we typically use the multiplier method to calculate noneconomic damages, which rates the severity of your injuries based on a scale of 1.5 to 5. Next, your total economic damages (such as lost income and medical expenses) will be multiplied by this assigned severity scale number to determine total noneconomic damages. In gathering all of your medical records, you can demonstrate the severity of your injuries, allowing you to recover the compensation that is rightfully yours.
Speak with a Nashville Car Accident Attorney Today
Receiving prompt medical care immediately after a car accident is essential to being awarded adequate compensation. While you may think that you have covered all your bases, retaining counsel significantly increases the likelihood of recovering what you deserve.
If you were recently involved in a collision, the Nashville car accident lawyers at Raybin & Weissman are available to negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf. To schedule your free consultation to learn how we can be of assistance to you, contact us online or call our office at 615-256-6666.