If you’ve been injured in an accident, you’ve probably made visits to your doctor for treatment. Your healthcare provider performs tests and follow-up visits to track your injuries and healing progress.
It’s crucial to keep up with these appointments, especially if there’s a lawsuit involved after an accident. Consistency of care will greatly benefit you and make the claim process easier.
When trying to settle a personal injury claim, you might come across the term “medical treatment gap.” A gap in treatment could adversely affect your compensation claim.
What’s a Medical Treatment Gap?
A gap is a prolonged period between treatment dates. Insurance companies will frequently use the term to reduce your settlement amount as much as possible.
Two types of treatment gaps exist. One is between the time you got into an accident and when you first see a doctor for treatment for injuries from the accident. For example, if you got into an accident and didn’t seek medical care until three months later, that’s a gap in treatment.
The second type of gap in treatment is when you get into an accident and see a doctor for the injuries. However, you let several months pass before seeing them again for follow-up.
Legitimate Reasons Why You May Have a Gap in Medical Treatment
While some people may not prioritize their well-being after injury in an accident, a gap in treatment doesn’t imply the absence of injuries. Some legitimate reasons for having a gap in medical include:
- The pain is not great enough to warrant medical treatment. Getting treatment is one of the most significant sources of evidence in an injury claim. Not taking the time to see a doctor makes the entire process difficult and may come back to haunt your case.
- There were unavoidable circumstances that made it difficult for you to seek treatment. For example, you may experience sickness or illness that prevents you from keeping up with your doctor’s appointments. Possibly, an unrelated surgical procedure requiring extended healing time could have prevented you from seeing your doctor.
In other cases, you might have traveled for work or personal reasons, which is acceptable because a personal injury claim doesn’t stop you from living your life.
How Gaps Affect Your Claim
An insurance adjuster will use a gap in treatment to devalue your claim, using it as evidence that your injuries aren’t as severe as you claim. They might argue that the injuries were so minor that they were not worth reporting.
A significant problem can arise if you sustain injuries but do not report them. It’s crucial to keep up with your appointments and record the treatment, symptoms, and payments.
Secondly, without proper medical records showing your health issues arising after an accident, it can be hard to prove the origin after the fact. The doctor’s records, x-ray history, and scans show proof of worsening symptoms or any arising issues that you can link to the accident.
Overall, they paint a clear picture of how the accident impacted you. Without the records, it would be hard to establish if the injuries were related to the accident.
Contact Swor & Gatto to Make a Personal Injury Claim
When filing a personal injury claim, you must put your health and well-being at the forefront. The injuries you get from an accident might be lifelong, and living with them can be expensive. That’s why you must insist on the compensation amount you deserve.
It’s essential to have an experienced personal injury attorney on your side during the process. They will defend your case for fair compensation despite having a gap in treatment. Contact us at Swor & Gatto scheduled an initial consultation.