One of the first things most people do after being involved in an accident is visit a doctor who can assess and treat their injuries. However, sometimes an injury victim omits things from the doctor, which can potentially have a negative impact on the value of their claim or jeopardize their ability to receive fair compensation altogether. There are some things you want to make sure to disclose to your treating doctor to ensure you get the compensation you are entitled to.

To make sure you are aware of this important information, discuss your claim with one of our New York car accident attorneys as soon as possible. Brandon J. Broderick can give you advice about what steps you should take and the type of information you should disclose, especially to your doctor.

Remember that the doctor conducting the Independent Medical Exam (IME) and a treating doctor are typically two different individuals. You need to be aware of what an IME consists of and how it differs from a typical doctor's appointment.

Being Honest About Your Medical History

Your medical history should be known to the doctor treating you for your injuries in order to assist him or her in choosing the most appropriate course of treatment. This could be something as straightforward as your allergies or as complicated as prior injuries or afflictions.

Accident victims who withhold this information from a treating physician put their own health at risk, in addition to the risk of endangering the value of their accident claim by lowering their credibility. If unaware of a previous injury, a doctor can recommend treatment that would help a new injury but aggravate an old one. Even worse, a pre-existing ailment could make the treatment ineffective.

Downplaying Your Level of Pain

Accident victims sometimes misjudge the extent of their injuries and the level of pain they are feeling. Your chances of receiving the maximum compensation may decrease as a result of the insurance provider contesting the amount of pain you are enduring. It can be more challenging to determine your non-economic damages if they demonstrate the severity of pain you are in doesn't justify a settlement, which they can do using information you provide the doctor. Specifically, if you do not tell the doctor how much pain you are in.

Accident victims occasionally overestimate their level of suffering too, which can be just as bad since it damages their credibility. Although everyone has a different threshold for pain, it's vital to remember that the majority of accident injuries are comparable, and a whiplash injury probably won't cause as much discomfort as a fractured bone.

Generally speaking, it is best to be honest about your level of suffering and the pain you are feeling. This could not only increase your chances in the courtroom, but it might also give your doctors more information about the efficacy of your therapy.

Revealing How Your Everyday Life is Impacted

Some injuries are severe enough to prevent someone from working or cause extreme emotional distress, such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). It might be more difficult to demonstrate that you require compensation for lost wages and emotional suffering if you do not express these things to your doctor.

Talking about how your injuries have affected your life may also help you get referred to the best medical professionals, such as a therapist or psychologist, who may be able to properly treat you. Event victims who are experiencing emotional trauma, such as PTSD, may require intensive care in order to recover from the accident and resume living the way they did before it.

Ignoring Doctor's Orders

Following a doctor's instructions or recommendations is another error some accident victims make when seeking medical attention after an accident. For instance, if the doctor recommends refraining from weightlifting until a neck injury has healed. Not only may disobeying such advice be harmful to one's health, but it can also have a negative effect on an insurance or personal injury claim.

An insurance company can hire a private investigator to follow accident victims around in order to learn more about them. The credibility of the injured sufferer may be severely damaged if he or she is seen in photos or videos executing a task that they claim they are unable to perform.

Injured in an Accident? Talk To Our Personal Injury Lawyers For Advice

An insurance provider will attempt to find any excuse they can to reject or undervalue your personal injury claim. Their goal is to pay the least amount possible, or not at all. Being honest with your doctor is the most important thing you can do following an accident. After that, it's important to consult with a New York personal injury attorney who can advise you further. The team of New York personal injury attorneys at Brandon J. Broderick can provide the support you need in your case. We can assist you in determining the full value of your claim and getting that value in a settlement or in court.

There are no up-front costs, so call us today for a free consultation.