After an accident that leaves you seriously injured, you are probably wondering if you are eligible to receive compensation. However, you may be worried about things that could affect your injury claim, such as pre-existing conditions and medical treatment.
Things That Could Affect Your Injury Claim | Pre-Existing Conditions
So often, we have clients who come in to see us after they’ve been injured in a car accident and tell us that they injured that same part of their body several years ago. That occurs in many, many of our cases. One thing that’s very important – and one that we, as personal injury attorneys, are very familiar with – is the ability to segregate the part of your injury that is due to your current accident from anything that’s attributable to a preexisting condition. The simple fact that you have a preexisting condition doesn’t mean that it was aggravated by your current accident. You could have hurt your arm or neck 10 or 15 years ago and, while you may have a preexisting condition, it may not have bothered you for those 10 or 15 years. It’s very important to work with a lawyer who’s handled this type of case and can distinguish between the types of injuries which are affected by a preexisting condition and those that are not.
Things That Could Affect Your Injury Claim | Not Seeing a Doctor
Normally, if you’re injured, there are certain doctors you’d go to right off the bat. First, if you’re seriously injured, you will normally be taken by ambulance to a local hospital. If your injuries are less serious, you may be able to drive yourself – or have a family member drive you – to the hospital. After that initial treatment, it’s very important to consult a physician who specializes in the type of injury you sustained. In other words, if you have an injury to your neck, you want to be sure to see an orthopedist, a neurologist or neurosurgeon, or a physical therapist or chiropractor. These are the medical care providers who handle these types of injuries. Most importantly, make sure the doctor you choose has experience treating the type of injury you’ve sustained.
If you have been involved in an incident that left you seriously injured, you may be eligible for compensation. Contact our Rochester personal injury attorneys for dedicated representation to see how we can help you recover your damages.
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