| |
 |
Get immediate
medical attention for your injuries. If you wait for
treatment your condition could get worse and you could
then share some of the blame for your resulting damages.
Do not wait for the other party or your employer to
provide medical treatment if they are delaying for some
reason. Use your own medical insurance, or whatever other
method you may have to begin your treatment. Withylaw can
recommend doctors for your condition. You should be
repaid for these costs as a part of any settlement or
verdict. |
| |
|
Do not be
afraid to get a second opinion if you question how your
current doctor is doing. Sometimes medical treatment
through worker's compensation or the other party's
insurance may not always give you all the treatment
necessary, or not satisfy you. Again, use your own
medical plan for this if necessary. It will be repaid in
the settlement or verdict. |
| |
|
Watch out for
the famous `IME'. This stands for independent medical
exam and it is what the employer or other party likes to
call an exam that they set up with their choice of
doctor. This is really a "defense" medical exam
and you should speak to your attorney about what could
happen at this exam. A special danger is that the doctor
starts asking about the facts of the accident and then
records something different in his/her chart than what
you had said. Such an "inconsistency" with a
supposedly "independent" doctor could cause big
trouble in the liability phase. |
| |
|
If you have
workers' compensation available, you can use it for
medical benefits and temporary disability payments. A
local workers' compensation specialist who practices
before the state Workers Compensation Board will help
with this aspect of the case, in cooperation with your
accident attorney, such as Withylaw, who handles the
separate court case. |
