It is important to seek medical care following a car accident in order to document your injuries and make a speedy and full recovery. After an injury you want to seek medical treatment as quickly as possible in order to get on the road to recovery. In normal times insurance companies will examine the consistency of treatment when evaluating claims. They typically argue and point out gaps in treatment during trial in order to undermine the value of a claim. Essentially, the argument is that if you were hurting that much, you would have gone to see a doctor in order to get better. As a result, delays or gaps in treatment can lower the value of a claim.
For those of you currently undergoing treatment and for accidents that occur now and in the near future clients face a dilemma. Many clients are concerned about how COVID-19 will affect access to medical care and treatment now that many doctors are not seeing patients in clinics. Other clients are worried about even going into a doctor’s office and being exposed to COVID-19. These are all legitimate concerns that we are hearing every day from our clients. Ideally, in person care is still the best option assuming it’s available and it meets your comfort level. Most doctors’ offices are taking proper precautions in order to protect patients and staff. If you are not comfortable, or your doctor is no longer seeing patients in person, we recommend the second option, which is telemedicine.
Since COVID-19, telemedicine has become a popular option even though it has been around for some time. Telemedicine is now an accepted alternative healthcare method for delivering medical services to patients. It is currently supported by the American Medical Association. Doctors are still able to diagnose, prescribe and treat a lot of conditions this way. In the current environment, telemedicine is better than no treatment at all and will still protect the value of your claim until you can get more specialized treatment when doctors and patients start meeting in person again.
Always remember that treating with a doctor as quickly as possible following an accident is essential for both your recovery and documenting your injuries. If you don’t feel comfortable going into the doctor’s office or your doctor is not seeing patients in person, then please consider telemedicine and keeping a journal to document your injuries. This will help significantly for valuing your case and fighting the insurance company for maximum compensation.