"What happens if I miss a doctor's appointment?" Missing your appointment, or creating a gap in treatment will hurt your personal injury case!

"I'm not sure if I should go to the doctor, I feel fine."

You've been in a car accident.  You think you should be hurt, but you don't feel any pain.  Why?

Your body's immediate reaction to an auto accident is very similar to the response it might experience while riding a roller coaster.  After a roller coaster ride your bloodstream is pumped full of endorphins, and this masks the pain you would otherwise feel.  The same is true of a car accident. 

THERE IS NOTHING MORE DAMAGING TO A PERSONAL INJURY CASE THAN DELAYS OR GAPS IN TREATMENT!

An accident victim's intentions may be noble when he/she avoids treatment, but the insurance company does not reward good intentions.  In fact, a person's good intentions are often penalized and the value of your injury claim will suffer.

At our law firm we have witnessed countless instances in which accident victims did not seek the treatment they needed.  The victims thought their pain would eventually subside, that their injuries were not severe, and that the insurance company would treat them fairly. 

Unfortunately, this doesn't usually happen.

A PERSONAL INJURY CASE IS ONLY AS STRONG AS ITS PROOF OF TREATMENT AND COMPLIANCE WITH A DOCTOR'S ORDERS.

No matter how experienced the attorney, he/she will never be able to successfully represent a victim of an accident if that victim doesn't have documented medical treatment.  Insurance companies rarely compensate victims who fail to seek out medical care, or who fail to attend doctors' appointments and follow doctors' instructions.  An insurance company will view "no shows" or "delays" and "gaps" in treatment as proof that you are not seriously injured, or that you are not injured at all.  They also know that a jury will side with them on this opinion.

Also, it's important to understand that an insurance company will not compensate you for the "could have" scenarios.  In other words, if the accident "could have" been worse, or your injuries "could have" left you with permanent disability, then your case will have little merit.  There must be documented, objective injuries in order for you to obtain fair compensation, as well as to help an attorney analyze the value of your case.  

AFTER YOU'VE BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT, SEEK IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ATTENTION!

Getting to the doctor needs to be done before you have a chance to "walk it off," before waiting to see if the insurance company will "empathize," and before contacting a personal injury attorney.  Your health is primary.