Charlotte Injury Lawyers Blog
Charlotte Personal Injury Attorney Matt Arnold answers the question: “The insurance company wants to send me to their own doctor for a second opinion. Do I have to go?”
Unfortunately, many people forgo going to the doctor following a car accident. Meanwhile, many of those who do go do not provide all the necessary information or fail to ask the right questions during a medical examination.
If you were involved in a car crash in Charlotte or elsewhere in North Carolina, you should always visit a doctor’s office and get a medical checkup, even if it does not seem that you were hurt.
It is equally important to ask your doctor certain questions to ensure that you are getting the right medical treatment and protect your legal rights when pursuing a personal injury claim.
1. ‘What is My Specific Car Accident Injury?’
You need your doctor to diagnose your specific injury following a car accident. Depending on the severity of your injury, your physician may not be able to diagnose your exact injuries without additional diagnostic testing, laboratory tests, as well as diagnostic imaging, including MRIs and CT scans.
If your doctor has diagnosed your injury, but you do not know what the diagnosis means, do not be afraid to ask your doctor to provide more information.
2. ‘How Long Will it Take Me to Recover?’
Understanding your injury recovery timeline is not only important to know what to expect, but it will also affect the value of your personal injury case. When a doctor diagnoses your specific car crash injury, you should ask how long it will take you to recover fully from your injury.
Depending on the severity of your injury, the recovery timeline could be weeks, months, years, or you might never fully recover if your injury is classified as permanent.
3. ‘When can I Return to Work?’
It is equally important to ask your doctor when you would be able to go back to work following a car crash. Depending on your job duties, your injury and limitations might affect your earning capacity.
If your ability to work has been impacted by your car accident injury, you should ask your doctor how long it will take you to return to work. This factor will significantly affect the value of your claim because lost wages account for a sizable percentage of compensatory damages.
While your doctor may not be able to tell you exactly when you will be able to return to work, they can give you a general estimate and advise you on work restrictions.
4. ‘Should I See Another Doctor?’
While your doctor may be able to diagnose your condition during a medical examination immediately after a car crash, it might be a good idea to visit another specialist. The first doctor you visit after a car accident may not have the necessary specialized training or qualification to diagnose your injury or give you the appropriate treatment plan. In that case, you should see another specialist.
If you were injured in a car accident in Charlotte or other parts of North Carolina, it is critical to seek medical attention right away. The second step is to talk to a skilled car accident attorney in Charlotte. Call (704) 370-2828 to receive a video or phone consultation with our lawyers to explore your legal options or fill out our contact form. Now taking cases throughout North Carolina with offices in Uptown Charlotte, Mooresville and Monroe.
The skilled personal injury attorneys at Arnold & Smith, PLLC are dedicated to maximizing the financial recovery and obtaining justice for every personal injury client injured by another party’s negligence. The issues our personal injury clients may be facing include, but are not limited to, slip and fall injuries, wrongful death, product liability, catastrophic injuries, dog bite claims, car and truck accident injuries, motorcycle injuries, traumatic brain injury (TBI), nursing home negligence, spinal cord injury, boating accidents, and defective medical device injury. Our personal injury attorneys understand the devastating impact such an injury can have on a person’s life, and that the effects so often go beyond physical pain and suffering. The personal injury attorneys at Arnold & Smith, PLLC are dedicated to helping clients determine the strength of their claims, and to aggressively pursuing the means necessary to achieve the best possible end result for each client’s particular situation.
Source:
https://injury.arnoldsmithlaw.com/car-accidents.html
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https://www.freeimages.com/photo/cancer-1427563
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