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Posted over 2 years ago. Applies to Iowa, 1 helpful vote, 0 comments
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1. CHOOSING THE RIGHT DOCTOR:A doctor who has a good reputation with insurance companies and with our courts lends credibility to your claim. Conversely, a doctor with a bad reputation can literally destroy your claim. Your family doctor may, or may not be, “THE BEST” choice. Unless they have experience with accident cases, they could inadvertently do something that could hurt your case. Effective personal injury attorneys know which doctors to use and which ones to stay away from. 2
2. TELL YOUR DOCTOR “EVERYTHING” THAT HURTS:One of the most critical pieces of evidence is how you feel and how your injuries have affected your ability to function on a daily basis. Your doctor is required to keep accurate and detailed records of your medical history and care. The records include your description of how you were injured, your physical complaints, your injuries, the doctor’s examination findings and the treatment you received. The insurance companies will base its offer to you on this critical information. If you fail to tell the doctor everything that hurts, not only will it not be treated properly, but also no one will know about it. If you first begin to complain about some problem weeks or even months after you were hurt, the insurance company will claim that the problem was not from the accident and reduce their settlement offer to you. 3
3. FOLLOW YOUR DOCTOR’S ORDERS:If your doctor tells you to get therapy three days a week, but you only go once a week, you will damage your claim. The insurance company will say that “you could not have been truly injured, or you would have followed your doctor’s recommendations,” and will reduce their settlement offer to you. 4
4. KEEP A DIARY TO DOCUMENT YOUR INJURIES:Few people ever think of writing down how they felt. You need to remember the details of your injury and how you felt on a day-to-day basis. A diary helps to provide accurate accounts of your injuries and how they affected your ability to function on a daily basis. Your diary will help you prove the extent of your injuries, and can mean a higher evaluation of your claim. 5
5. KEEP DOCUMENTATION REGARDING MISSED WORK:It is important that you keep track of the time you missed from work. This includes keeping doctors excuses for missed work and keeping track of time you miss work for doctors’ appointments. 6
6. BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY:The insurance company and their lawyers will use anything and everything you tell them against you. And no matter what, DO NOT LIE. Even a small lie can ruin your credibility. The best policy is to always tell the truth. That way you will never have to worry about what you said. 7
7. INSIST YOUR MEDICAL BILLS ARE SUBMITTED FOR PAYMENT:Sometimes your medical providers will tell you that they cannot bill your health insurance company because there has been an accident. Unfortunately, failing to submit your medical bills to your health insurance company may result in you being turned over to a collection agency, not having your medical bills paid and/or you receiving less compensation for your injuries. For more information about the best way for your medical bills to be paid to provide the most compensation for you, request my Free book by following the instructions below. Additional ResourcesFor more information and a Free book about motorcycle accidents go to http://www.MotorcycleAccidentBook.com or Call Now (800)-707-2552, ext. 215 (24 Hour Recorded Message). Corey J. L. Walker is an Iowa injury attorney who has been practicing primarily in personal injury law (including motorcycle, car and truck accidents) in Iowa since 1997. Find LLC LawyersRelated Searches |