Menu
F
r
e
e

C
o
n
s
u
l
t
a
t
i
o
n

Telling a Doctor About Your Injury After an Accident: Avoid These 5 Common Mistakes

On behalf of The Law Offices of Howard Kornberg Posted in Personal Injury

The process of speaking to your doctor about your injury after an accident may seem pretty straightforward… And yet thousands of people in Los Angeles and all across California make terrible mistakes that end up discrediting their personal injury claim.

Our Los Angeles personal injury attorney at the Law Offices of Howard Kornberg warns: if you have scheduled (or are planning to schedule) a medical appointment to discuss your injuries with fa physician, make sure that you avoid the following common mistakes:

Not seeking medical attention immediately after an accident

Failure to seek immediate medical attention after an accident – whatever it is: a car accident, premises liability or defective product liability accident, or anything in between – is a major red flag for juries and judges when deciding whether to award you with a favorable settlement or verdict or not. Not to mention that the at-fault party’s lawyer and the insurance company will most likely use your failure to seek immediate medical attention as their defense, arguing that you were not injured severely enough to justify the number of damages you are seeking to recover.

Lying to your doctor

Many injured people in Los Angeles and elsewhere in California tend to wrongfully believe that they can lie their way into maximizing the value of their personal injury settlement. Whether you are exaggerating the severity of your injuries, not being totally honest about your past medical conditions, lying about your pre-existing injuries or illnesses, or giving false answers to the doctor’s questions regarding your accident, be warned that providing incomplete, false, or dishonest information to a doctor can ruin your chances of recovering compensation. And it makes sense, considering that insurance companies will most likely reject your personal injury claim coverage if you get caught, prompting juries and judges to question the validity of your claims overall.

Discussing your lawsuit

It may seem like a doctor is your friend and you can use your medical appointment to not only get diagnosed and receive a doctor’s advice but also to vent. While it is perfectly normal to tell a doctor about your accident, it is highly advised to avoid mentioning anything about your ongoing or prospective personal injury lawsuit or discussing legal tips given by your Los Angeles personal injury lawyer.

First of all, your doctor does not need to know about the legal aspects of your case, and it is his/her job and duty to provide you with high-quality medical treatment and diagnosis. Second of all, telling your doctor about your lawsuit can negatively affect your personal injury lawsuit, as many doctors do not want to have anything to do with lawsuits and may even be reluctant to treat you, as the responsibility is just too enormous to take.

Missing or showing up late for your appointment

Yes, even something so insignificant as missing or showing up late for a medical appointment can negatively impact your personal injury case. That is because your medical records keep track of your appointments, and whenever the abbreviation “NS” (which stands for “No Show”) appears next to your medical appointment, juries and judges may cast doubt over the validity of your claims (a no-show makes it look as if your injury was not bad enough if you did not even show up for your appointment).

Showing up late for your appointment, though will not be shown in your medical records, can play a cruel joke on your chances of obtaining compensation, too. That is because showing up late for appointments can be quite annoying, and an annoyed doctor is not something that can help you win a settlement or verdict. Let’s not forget that doctors are witnesses for their patients and may even be asked to testify in court. So the next time you go to a doctor may want to be friendly with him/her!

Failing to inform a doctor about how your injury affects your earning capacity

If you are employed and your injury has affected your ability to perform your usual duties at work, be sure to inform your doctor about this. It is paramount to have this type of information in your medical records, as an injury that makes it impossible to work or greatly affects one’s ability to work or earning capacity can increase the value of recoverable damages in a personal injury case.

If you have been injured in an accident, do not hesitate to contact a Los Angeles personal injury attorney who will give you personalized legal advice in your particular case. Contact the Law Offices of Howard Kornberg to get a free consultation today. Call our offices at 310-997-0904 or complete this contact form.

Arrow Prev Prev Next Arrow Next
T

Tristan Crown

Rating Star
Howard Kornberg has been helping injured victims for over 35 years in
Read more
Posted On Google
J

John Dittrich

Rating Star
Howard's Law Office is undoubtedly the go-to place in Los Angeles for
Read more
Posted On Google
R

Robben Sprague

Rating Star
Howard Kornberg and his team were utterly amazing from start to finish
Read more
Posted On Google
M

Max Schafer

Rating Star
Excellent experience! Howard and his team are smart, competent, honest
Read more
Posted On Google
f

flerida hernandez

Rating Star
The Law Offices of Howard Kornberg were highly recommend by someone I
Read more
Posted On Google
T

Terri Barlow

Rating Star
Despite having to to deal with multiple family members and the death o
Read more
Posted On Google
M

Marina Salazar

Rating Star
What a great!! experience I had with the Law Offices of Howard Kornber
Read more
Posted On Google
P

Pamela LLJUBO

Rating Star
Working with Howard Kornberg and his associates is like having an exte
Read more
Posted On Google
E

E.J. Fortenberry

Rating Star
Mr Kornberg represented me very well in my case resulting in an outsta
Read more
Posted On Google
A

Anna Stovitz

Rating Star
Howard Kornberg did an impeccable job in representing me in my trial.
Read more
Posted On Google
A

Aviv Brawer-Cohen

Rating Star
Mr Kornberg and his staff are truly outstanding. Their diligent and ho
Read more
Posted On Google
A

Alex Saavedra

Rating Star
The people that work here are honest and straight up, Ana and Robert w
Read more
Posted On Google
T

Tristan Crown

Rating Star
Howard Kornberg has been helping injured victims for over 35 years in
Read more
Posted On Google
J

Josie Cruz

Rating Star
I took my "car accident" case to Mr. Kornberg for review. I had been t
Read more
Posted On Google
J

Jack Stovitz

Rating Star
Howard is an amazing lawyer who gets the job done. He's a great guy, h
Read more
Posted On Google
M

Melissa Schoenfeld

Rating Star
My experience with this office and Mr. Kornberg was everything I could
Read more
Posted On Google
H

HugznKisses De La Torre

Rating Star
Howard is a great person to work with and his integrity is unquestione
Read more
Posted On Google
M

Max Lasser

Rating Star
Howard is a phenomenal, exemplary, kind lawyer who will fight for you
Read more
Posted On Google
C

Charlie Shanes

Rating Star
I needed a good personal injury lawyer, I was injured in a car acciden
Read more
Posted On Google
R

Robert Leovy

Rating Star
Does great work and will go out of his way to ensure you get what you
Read more
Posted On Google
j

john nguyen

Rating Star
Friendly people, very professional, very detail oriented, and he will
Read more
Posted On Google
R

R D

Rating Star
HCK and staff are amazing!!
Read more
Posted On Google
C

Connie Kay

Rating Star
Positive: Responsiveness
Read more
Posted On Google
A

Alfonso Gonzalex

Rating Star
Positive: Professionalism, Quality, Responsiveness
Read more
Posted On Google
Arrow Next
Arrow Prev