What To Ask And Say To Your Doctor After A Personal Injury

If you have been injured and you think the injury is the fault of someone else, then you should definitely seek treatment from your doctor. Medical records will be necessary for you to file a personal injury case against the person whose fault your injury really way. But what should you ask and say during your doctor's appointment? Here's a look.

1. Tell your doctor how you were injured.

Make sure you tell your doctor, in as much detail as possible, how you were injured. The doctor will record this information in your file, and that file can serve as additional evidence as to the cause of your injuries when it comes time to go to court. The fact that your doctor recorded the cause of your injuries and did not question them helps demonstrate that the way you're claiming your injuries happened is real and realistic.

2. Ask what your injuries are, exactly.

You may walk into the doctor knowing that your shoulder hurts or that the fall left you with hip pain. But you want to leave the doctor with a name for your injuries. You want to know, specifically, if you have a torn rotator cuff, a bruised femur, a strained intercostal muscle, and so forth. You can pass this information on to your lawyer, who will use it to determine how much compensation you are due.

3. Ask when you can return to work.

Your doctor should tell you when you're able to safely return to work. Get this in writing. This way, your lawyer can figure out how much pay you are missing out on due to your injuries, and they can factor this into the amount of compensation you ask for. Plus, having a date upon which you can return to work will ensure you don't push yourself too far, too soon -- which will prevent the defendant from arguing that if you would have just followed doctor's orders, you would be healed.

4. Ask for a detailed treatment plan.

Your doctor should be able to give you a defined treatment plan that you can implement over the coming weeks. This should include how much rest you should get, which medications you can take and when, when to attend physical therapy, and so forth. If you have to undergo a lot of costly treatments, your lawyer will need this information to determine how much to ask the defendants for.

If you leave your doctor's appointment having discussed the topics above, you'll be in good shape to file a personal injury case. Get in touch with an attorney at a firm such as Siben & Siben LLP for more information.

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