When Accident Injuries Linger

Law Blog

Getting over a car accident can be a long process. If you have serious injuries, you might be looking at an even longer recovery period. Certain types of accident situations call for additional care when seeking monetary damages. Read on and find out how you can avoid losing out on some important forms of accident damage when injuries linger.

What Are Future Medical Needs?

When an accident victim is not expected to heal completely once an accident settlement is reached, future medical needs are an important issue. Medical costs are rising all the time and victims should not be expected to bear that expense because of the actions of a careless driver. Just like past medical expenses and other forms of damage, future medical expenses should be part of any settlement when appropriate.

When Future Medical Needs Are Appropriate

Obviously, car accident injuries vary in severity quite a lot. Many accident victims recover and begin getting things back to normal in a few weeks. Some victims, though, are left with multiple issues to cope with months later. Serious injuries that may require future surgeries are a common future medical need. So too are future physical therapy sessions, medication, hard medical goods (like crutches or a wheelchair), and more. The determination of the need for future medical treatment comes about, in most cases, by an important medical exam.

The Independent Medical Examination

The independent medical exam (IME) may be called for when a victim has continuing medical issues because of the accident injury. The other side of the case, which is comprised of the at-fault driver's insurer, may ask that the victim undergo this exam to help figure out the status of the injury. This exam, performed by an independent doctor, is meant to assess the injuries and to recommend further treatment, if any. If you and your personal injury lawyer disagree with the results of the IME, you have the right to another exam by a doctor of your choosing.

What Else To Know

When it comes time to consider future medical needs, be very careful and don't try to deal with this situation on your own. Get a lawyer to help you cope with the confusing and difficult results of an IME. Often, once the results are in, you may be offered a sum of money to settle the case. Never accept a settlement without having a lawyer look over the offer. You might be leaving valuable compensation on the table if you aren't careful. To learn more, speak to a car accident attorney.

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15 June 2021