Medical Treatments You Might Need After an Auto Accident

Medical treatment costs often form a significant part of auto accident damages. Thus, you should pursue full compensation for all your medical damages to maximize your settlement or award. You can only do this by accounting for all the treatments you need or have received for your injury. Below are some of these treatments.

 

Emergency Treatment

You need emergency treatment immediately after an accident if you have serious or unknown injuries. The ER personnel will stabilize your condition before you continue with general treatment. ER care is useful since:

• It can help diagnose and treat serious medical conditions and prevent medical complications
• It provides the evidence you need to prove the seriousness of your auto accident injuries

Don’t refuse ER care, especially if the first responders suggest it. Otherwise, the defendant in your subsequent accident claim might use the denial to downgrade your injuries.

Specialist Treatment

You might need curative specialist treatment after your ER care. Curative treatment addresses the specific injuries you suffered in the accident to make you wholesome again. The curative treatment you need depends on your injuries. For example, you may need:

• Orthopedic care if you have musculoskeletal injuries, such as limb fractures
• Neurological care if you have suffered brain or nervous system injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
• Cardiology care if you have suffered heart injuries

Your general physician or ER doctor will refer you to the right specialist for further treatment. Take the referral seriously and seek medical care. Don’t ignore the advice even if you feel better.

Physical Therapy

You might need further treatment to regain your pre-accident life, even after a hospital discharge or initial consultation with your general physician. Say you suffered a limb fracture in an auto accident. You might struggle to walk and carry on with your everyday activities even after your fracture heals.

Physical therapy may help you regain your pre-accident stability and strength. The number and frequency of your physiotherapy sessions depend on your injuries’ location and severity. Your treating physician will work with your physiotherapist for optimum treatment. Follow their advice if you don’t want the defendant to argue that you exceeded the necessary sessions.

Psychotherapy

Auto accidents can cause mental injuries with or without physical injuries. Moreover, mental injuries can also trigger physical manifestations. For example, you might suffer post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after a horrific crash. PTSD can cause:

• Stomach upsets
• Headaches
• Sleep disturbances
• Anxiety

In such a case, you may need psychotherapy in addition to other forms of treatment.

Complementary or Alternative Medicine

Complimentary or alternative medicine (CAM) falls outside mainstream medicine. Examples of CAMs include acupuncture, chiropractic medicine, and herbal medicine. Some people believe exclusively in CAMs, but many use mainstream and CAM medicine concurrently.

Some CAMs have scientific proof of success and are closer to mainstream medicine than others. For example, studies show that acupuncture can help mitigate back pain; thus, you may consider the treatment if your accident leaves you with a back injury.

However, some insurance companies treat CAMs differently from mainstream medicine. Some insurance companies argue that CAMs are experimental and lack proof of effectiveness. As such, an insurance company might be reluctant to compensate you for CAM treatment, especially those that stray too far from mainstream medicine.

One way to get compensation for your CAM expenses is to get your doctor to recommend it. You also have a good chance of compensation if you use both mainstream and CAM and not CAM alone.

You need evidence of all treatment costs to prove your damages. Bradley, Drendel & Jeanney can help you gather the necessary evidence and prove your case in court. Contact us for a free initial consultation to determine how to handle your case.