2 Things That People Mess Up When They See a Doctor After a Car Crash

After a car crash, the adrenaline is pumping. When the smoke clears, the first question that needs to be asked is, “Is everyone okay?” But what does being okay mean?

I’m Dave Dismuke, Florida Bar Board Certified civil trial lawyer, and founder of Dismuke Law, 1-800.ASK.DAVE.

Immediately after a car crash, most people are thankful they are alive, and that it wasn’t worse. However, the pain and discomfort eventually sends them to the doctor. Today, we’re talking about two things that people mess up when they go see a doctor after a car accident. First, after a car accident, it’s important to report all the parts of your body where you have discomfort. Second, tell  your healthcare providers if you’ve had problems in the same areas of your body in the past.

Let me give you an example:

Let’s say you’re in a car crash, and you have a broken knee cap. When you go to the hospital, the healthcare providers will focus on that problem to the exclusion of other issues. When your medical records come in after a few months, they may say that you had knee pain, but denied neck and back pain, even if you don’t remember them asking about it. Over time, your knee could get better, but neck and back pain could be a lifelong problem that leads to severe physical limitations and lifelong medical needs. The insurance company will look over your medical records and determine the first time that you reported neck and back pain and use it to get a discount on your claim. Keep in mind, you still need to make a claim, even if you’ve had prior problems in the same parts of your body. It’s what’s called an aggravation of a preexisting condition. It will be up to your healthcare providers to tell us what’s new versus what was old. And it’s important they know your history in order to do that. 

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Now, I wanna turn it over to you. If you have questions about these strategies, post the comment below.