There are many details that could either make or break your Indiana personal injury claim. Take extra care with your claim with the help of an Indianapolis accident lawyer because the last thing you want is a thoughtless mistake to end up costing you the damages you deserve.
10 Major Mistakes to Avoid When Filing an Indiana Personal Injury Claim
1. Failure to Seek Immediate Medical Attention and/or Treatment
If you suffered injuries from your accident, it’s vitally important that you seek medical attention as soon as possible. You need to get injuries treated right away for your own health and to ensure a full recovery, and seeking medical attention shows that your injuries were legitimate and damaging.
2. Missing Medical Appointments
The judge, jury, attorneys, etc. will be able to access your medical records. This means they’ll be able to see when you skipped an appointment. This will reflect poorly on you in court, so it’s in your best interest to attend any and all appointments.
3. Failure to Disclose Health History
A doctor or physician typically asks for your personal medical history. They may also ask for your family’s medical history so the doctor can factor in genetic or hereditary conditions with your current injuries. If you withhold information from your doctor, it will reflect poorly on you and hurt your image because all medical records will become public knowledge within the courtroom.
4. Asking Your Doctor for Legal Advice
Your doctor or physician is there to treat you and help you get on the road to recovery. Asking them for advice or help with legal matters is inappropriate.
5. Not Having Your Pain Accurately Documented
Your word stating that you’re in pain will not hold up in court. Thus, the insurance companies and jury will go over your records to see how long the pain lasted and at what severity. Contact your Indianapolis accident lawyer for advice on journaling your pain.
6. Failure To Inform Your Doctor Of Your Inability To Work
If you become unable to work because of an injury you suffered from your accident, you must let your doctor know right away. If you’re unable to work there needs to be documented proof in your medical records in order to pursue full compensation through your Indiana personal injury claim.
7. Failure to Keep a File
Immediately after your Indianapolis accident and when you decide to file a personal injury claim, it’s absolutely necessary for you to keep an organized file of everything related to the accident. You should keep records of doctor orders, doctor visits, bills, treatment referrals, time off of work, etc.
8. Failure To Take Medication Properly
As a patient you should take your doctor’s instructions seriously and follow them exactly; failure to do so can be construed as neglect on your own behalf. If you want to stop taking the medication because you’re experiencing side effects, talk to your doctor about switching to a different type of medication.
9. Failure to Follow Treatment Recommendations
In some cases, patients experience extreme pain that can cycle them into depression or anxiety. These psychological conditions can hinder one’s well-being drastically, and you’d need medical professional assistance in recovering from this altogether separate condition. It’s not uncommon for individuals involved in accidents to experience these psychological conditions and treatment recommendations should be obeyed.
10. Stopping Your Medical Treatment Early
You must run the full course of recovery because if you don’t, it’ll be documented in your medical file. Insurance companies and juries will construe this detail as your injuries not being as severe and will lessen the damages you may recover.