Medical Care

Your health is your most precious asset. After any traumatic episode, you should be thoroughly checked by qualified medical professionals. A visit to a hospital emergency room may assure the most thorough exam. Many doctors are associated with insurance companies that severely limit medical care.

Serious Injury

A serious injury will have ramifications that affect many aspects of your life. Insurance companies tend to downplay the gravity of these ramifications. An experienced personal injury attorney is a crucial partner in offering guidance as you grapple with complex issues like permanent disability, prolonged loss of earning capacity, post-traumatic capacity, future medical complications, and more.

Common Injuries

Fortunately, most auto accidents do not involve serious permanent injuries. They do, however, create trauma, stress, and pain for millions of people every year. The most common injuries sustained in car accidents are those to the head, neck and back. The impact of being rear-ended by another car, even at relatively low speeds, is sufficient to strain and injure the parts of the body which are connected to a very delicate spinal cord.

Here is what happens: When your automobile is struck from behind, the head is suddenly and forcefully moved beyond its normal extension. Then it abruptly recoils. Damage occurs to soft tissues in the neck and back which could affect ligaments, muscles, nerves, blood vessels, vertebrae and discs.

The medical and legal consequences of this type of injury are complex for several reasons. In most cases, the only evidence of the injury is the victim's complaint. Symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, nausea, stiffness, numbness and impaired vision as well as pains in the neck, arms, and lower back may show up immediately, or even days or weeks later. There is often no correlation between the severity of damage to your car and the severity of pain resulting from this type of injury.

Consequently, it is important (1) not to provide an opinion about your condition at the time of the accident unless you feel pain; (2) to be examined by doctors specializing in soft tissue injuries; and (3) to wait to negotiate a settlement with the insurance company until your doctors provide you with a written opinion concerning your future medical health. Many studies have concluded that these type of injuries leave victims with scar tissue, calcium deposits, premature arthritis, and other degenerative changes.

The Law Office of Frank A. Kirsh works with doctors from many disciplines on behalf of accident victims. These providers are capable of diagnosing and treating various symptoms and injuries caused by automobile accidents. Attorney Frank A. Kirsh seeks reimbursement for these medical expenses from all applicable insurance companies.

Post-Emergency Diagnosis and Treatment

Medical specialists, not general practitioners or family doctors, are usually best equipped to handle accident-related trauma because they see it every day. There are a variety of medical professionals involved in the treatment of injuries suffered by victims of automobile accidents. A radiologist interprets x-rays, M.R.I., CAT scans and other diagnostic tests. An orthopedist focuses on the joints, muscles, and bones. A neurologist specializes in diseases and injuries to the nervous system. These injuries may spring from seemingly insignificant events: A bump on the head may cause an injury as serious as a brain concussion. A sprain could result in pinched nerves which leave the patient with symptoms of numbness or tingling in the joints or extremities.

One doctor will oversee your medical case. He or she will interview you. You will be required to provide detailed information regarding your past physical condition and nature of your current complaints. Be sure to completely disclose prior physical problems so that your doctor can treat you effectively, and so that you remain believable to insurance carriers who may try to attack your credibility. Always communicate to your doctor all pain and limitations. This information will be recorded in your medical chart, and can be used to establish your damages.

After your first interview, your doctor will perform a complete examination using a variety of different tests. In a routine case, X-rays of your neck and back will be taken to determine if there is any visible damage. The doctor should review your x-ray film with you and discuss all pertinent findings. Based upon the initial examination and your progress during treatment, your doctor may request further medical tests to obtain more information regarding your condition.

Medical Expenses

The high cost of medical care requires management of these expenses by an experienced personal injury attorney. The Law Office of Frank A. Kirsh L.L.C. will contact your health care providers periodically updating the status of your case. All potential sources of payment of these bills will be explored. A doctor will typically wait until your case is resolved before demanding payment of his bill. You should seek treatment from those doctors who understand your financial situation and agree to this payment schedule. Because the costs of medical care are constantly rising, your settlement should include money for future treatment.

Maintain a Written Diary of Your Progress

Doctors will maintain a record of your progress during their treatment. However, to fully document the effect an automobile accident has had on your life, our law office strongly recommends that clients maintain a written diary detailing the limitations and problems involved in recovering from injuries. The primary purpose of this diary is to preserve evidence. If your claim is not resolved within a few months, you may not remember all of the difficulties you have encountered. By referring to this diary, your ability to communicate the full dimension of your injuries will be greatly improved.