Issues With Finding a Doctor to Treat You After a Car Accident in Texas

The moments following a car collision can be disorienting and chaotic. A few minutes ago, you were focused on driving to your destination, and now you are assessing yourself for injuries requiring immediate medical attention. You or others at the scene should call for an ambulance if there are severe injuries. However, what about injuries that don’t seem that serious? Houston auto accident victims should still have their injuries assessed by a doctor or other medical professional as soon as possible. Seeking a medical evaluation can identify harder-to-detect injuries, like concussions or internal bleeding, and you can use the documentation created during this visit to strengthen your personal injury claim. However, you may encounter some challenges when looking for a doctor to assess you after a car accident. This post will explore some of these difficulties and what steps you can take to obtain the medical care (and, eventually, the compensation) you need and deserve.

Why Seeking Medical Care is Necessary After an Accident

First, it’s important to understand why you should have your injuries assessed by a doctor following a car accident. You may not think your injuries are severe enough to justify a trip to the doctor, but there are some conditions (like a traumatic brain injury) that may not exhibit obvious symptoms. Some accident victims experience shock after the collision, and the subsequent release of adrenaline and endorphins may hide painful symptoms for an extended period of time. Additionally, seeking medical care establishes important documentation detailing the nature, extent, and prognosis of your injuries. When you move forward with filing a personal injury claim against the party responsible for causing the accident, these medical records can strengthen your claim by illustrating the cost and impact the accident has had on your physical and financial well-being.

Understanding Why Finding a Doctor Can Be Difficult

When you reach out to your doctor to make an appointment, you may be surprised to hear that they are not willing to see you. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why primary care doctors may refuse to see or evaluate accident victims.

Their Office Doesn’t Handle “Third-Party Claims”

Most doctors’ offices are used to working with health insurance companies, with whom they have established special contracts and pre-negotiated pricing. However, auto accident claims work differently; auto insurance companies typically handle the claims, making these “third-party claims.” With third-party claims, the medical office has no way of anticipating how much payment they will receive. Processing third-party claims can take much longer, as the insurance companies and the court must establish the at-fault party. As a result, some doctors’ offices simply do not take on third-party claims because they are too complicated to handle.

Your Health Insurance Offers Limited Coverage for Car Accidents

You may be surprised to realize that your health insurance plan only pays a small fraction of the medical bills related to an auto accident injury. In some cases, health insurance providers do not pay doctors until they are confident they will receive reimbursement from the at-fault party. Many medical offices are aware of these hassles, so they may refuse to treat you for car accident-related injuries because they fear they will not be paid.

Your Doctor Does Not Get Involved in Legal Matters

Some doctors want to avoid getting involved in legal cases. Personal injury lawsuits can take considerable time to resolve, and many physicians do not want to risk being called to testify. Court appearances take doctors away from their practice, preventing them from seeing their patients and providing much-needed care. You may find that your doctor will not assess you because they don’t want to take on this responsibility and the potential burden of appearing in court.

When Your Doctor Won’t See You After an Auto Accident

Having your doctor refuse to see you after a car accident can be discouraging. However, there are other steps you can take to obtain the medical care you need. For instance, you can look for a specialist who handles auto accident injuries. In fact, many general practitioners lack experience in treating soft-tissue injuries, while auto accident injury specialists understand how to diagnose and treat common car collision injuries. Additionally, these specialists have experience with the personal injury claims process, so they can provide you with the documents you need to build a strong case. They tend to be more willing to serve as witnesses in court, attesting to the nature and extent of the injuries you suffered at the hands of the at-fault party.

In addition to seeking out an auto accident injury specialist, you should enlist the help of a trusted and compassionate Houston personal injury lawyer to provide additional support during this stressful time. Your attorney will answer your questions, address your concerns, and help you prepare the strongest claim possible to maximize your settlement offer.

Contact DeHoyos Accident Attorneys, PLLC, today at (832) 745-4878 to speak with a trusted and experienced Houston personal injury attorney.