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CONSIDERATIONS FOR MEDICAL CARE AFTER PERSONAL INJURY

CONSIDERATIONS FOR MEDICAL CARE AFTER PERSONAL INJURY

 

 
      When you have been hurt in an accident in Orangeburg SC that was the fault of another, it's important to receive proper medical care.  Whether the accident is a slip and fall, car wreck, bicycle accident, or whatever, getting a medical check after the incident is critical for many reasons.  First, immediate medical attention is just the best thing for your future health.  The longer the wait before treatment, the higher the chance of further and potentially permanent injury.  Particularly after a vehicle accident, the adrenaline involved can block the true level of pain associated with the injury and only a medical evaluation will discover the extent of the problem.  The adrenaline rush can last for a day or even days, before wearing off to reveal the extent of pain due to the injury.  By that point, further activity may have caused more problems to even a permanent nature.
 
       The second reason for immediate medical evaluation and treatment is important for a future personal injury claim.  The longer the time between the incident and medical evaluation, the more argument you will face of either an intervening event having caused injury.  You may also face more of an argument that the injury is minor.  This is particularly the case when injuries do not involve the clear and unquestionable like broken bones.  A strained neck can be just as harmful as a broken arm, and yet it becomes harder to objectively quantify the level of injury.  The quicker medical attention is sought and the injury noted on evaluation, the better for the future claim.  Additionally, X-rays and CAT scans help quickly find a serious injury that would not be apparent otherwise.
 
       Beyond initial treatment and evaluation, it's important to continue necessary follow-up treatment for the injury.  Like initial treatment and evaluation, it's important to seek and obtain the follow-on treatment to prevent further physical problems, including permanent injury.  Next in importance is the legal claim effect. When the injury is being evaluated, the total medical bills become the most important factor in insurance companies assessing cases. That same dynamic occurs with juries as well.  The more medical bills, the higher the value for the claim (in most circumstances).  Normally, more value is placed on medical bills verses either chiropractic or physical therapy bills. However, those bills still hold weight.  The consideration for possibly deferring some treatment might be the cost involved if a person has no medical insurance.  Even in that event, however, many times chiropractic clinics will offer treatment with a lien on their bill from the proceeds of a settlement or jury verdict.  It is always best for yourself and the claim to get all treatment necessary.
 
     Hopefully, this will help if you ever have the unfortunate experience of personal injury. Always seek good legal counsel to help guide you through the process.
 
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Last modified on Monday, 23 December 2019 18:49

Bill Connor Orangeburg Attorney Bill Connor received his Bachelor of Arts from The Citadel in 1990, and after serving for over a decade as an Infantry Officer in the U.S. Army, including three deployments to the Middle East, he received his Juris Doctorate from The University of South Carolina in 2005. In 2012, Bill was honored to receive an AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rating by Martindale-Hubbell®, the top peer rating for American lawyers. Receiving this rating at such an early point in his career is unheard of among lawyers.