5 Questions to Ask Your Car Accident Doctor
Car accidents happen out of nowhere and often leave survivors in shock.
Amid the chaos that frequently occurs in the aftermath of a car accident, you might neglect to seek medical attention, especially if you believe your injuries are minor.
Unfortunately, this is a big mistake.
Not all severe injuries produce symptoms right away and may worsen over some time.
Delaying treatment can negatively impact your health and make it much more difficult for you to obtain the compensation you need.
That's why you should make it a priority to visit your doctor after being involved in an accident.
While you are at the doctor's office, you should also be ready to ask some critical questions.
In the article below, we have compiled a list of questions accident survivors should ask the doctor after a car accident.
Table of Contents
- What Is My Outlook?
- What are my Injuries?
- What Caused My Injuries?
- Will My Injuries Lead to Future Problems?
- When Can I go Back To Work?
1. What Is My Outlook?
Understanding your long-term outlook is important not only for your health and well-being but for your personal injury claim as well.
It could be an essential factor to determine the amount of compensation you can receive through a personal injury claim.
During your doctor visit for medical treatment, you should ask how long it will take for you to recover fully from your injuries physically, mentally, and emotionally.
In some cases, your recovery might be a matter of weeks, while some victims suffer injuries that will never fully heal.
It can be tough to find out that your injuries may limit you for the rest of your life, but the best thing you can do is learn as much as possible.
The more knowledge you have of your injuries and your prognosis, the better prepared you will be for the road ahead.
Even if you never fully recover, you'll eventually reach a point that doctors call the "maximum medical improvement."
When you reach your "MMI," you've recovered as much as medically possible.
Unfortunately, there's no way for your doctor to guarantee that you can reach maximum medical improvement in an exact amount of time.
However, they should be able to give you a general range that describes how long the process might take.
2. What are my Injuries?
Before you visit a personal injury attorney or talk to insurance companies, you're going to need medical care. Ask your doctor about the severity of your injuries.
The more you understand your injury, the more likely you will be to focus on your recovery and avoid things that can harm your recovery. They will diagnose your injuries along with consulting your medical records.
Along the same lines, find out how long you can expect to be in pain and what additional care will be necessary.
Perhaps you are suffering from back pain? Read our blog post: "6 Signs That It's Time to See a Doctor for Your Back Pain."
3. What Caused my Injuries?
This question might seem unnecessary.
Your doctor's medical opinion about what caused your injury will be critical to your personal injury case and your ability to recover damages.
The more details you have from your doctor about your injuries, the more proof you have that the negligent party is responsible.
Your doctor might not be able to give a precise determination about what happened, or it might not be something that they can provide immediately.
However, you can never have too many details from your medical professional.
4. Will My Injuries Lead to Future Problems?
Everyone has a right to compensation for your actual medical bills after a car accident.
But if you've sustained severe injuries, there's a chance that you're not going to have all of your medical bills by the time your case goes to trial.
You can still get compensation for future medical bills, but you must tell the jury what you expect those costs to be.
It's not enough to just give your opinion, either.
They need to hear it from a medical professional.
5. When Can I Go Back to Work?
Depending on your job and injuries, you may have certain limitations that keep you from returning to work right away. This can be a stressful period of time.
Your personal injury lawsuit can help you receive compensation for the wages and career opportunities you've lost.
But to be compensated for last wages, you need to establish when you will be able to return to work and how limited you will be when you return.
Your doctor might not know exactly when or if you'll be able to work again, but they should be able to give an estimate to when you might be able to work again.
This estimate can change during your treatment and recovery process, but it's still important to get a baseline estimate as soon as possible.
Contact The Car Wreck Doctor Today
If you are looking for the right chiropractor, Car Wreck Doctor may be the right clinic for you.
Our chiropractors specialize in treating the victims of car accidents, and they've been helping the injured with their treatment for over ten years.
Our chiropractors offer free consultations to all car accident victims.
Now that you know the top 5 questions to ask your auto accident doctor, you should act quickly to have your accident injuries treated by certified medical professionals..
Click the link below to schedule your free appointment with the expert Chiropractors at Car Wreck Doctor.