Making Justice
Work For You

Image of attorneys at Duke & Heath Attorneys at Law

Injured? You should still see a doctor even if it’s too costly

On Behalf of | May 19, 2017 | Personal Injury

Every year, thousands of individuals all across the state of Georgia are injured due to the negligence of others.

People suffer injuries from slip and falls in retail stores or parking lots. Others are injured at the hands of a doctor or other medical professional. Many more suffer serious bodily harm from an auto accident collision.

Regardless of the circumstance, certain parties are hesitant to see a doctor for injuries sustained in these situations if they don’t have health insurance or their insurance policy has a high deductible. This is understandable—healthcare costs in the United States have skyrocketed over the years. It is expensive.

However, people who sustain injuries because of the fault of another should always see a doctor—regardless of the cost. Here are 3 reasons why.

3 reasons why you should always see a doctor for a personal injury

1. Injured parties do not have to pay anything up-front

It is understandable that many people (who aren’t seriously injured or whose injuries do not immediately appear after the incident) forgo seeing a doctor. Depending on the services, a visit to the ER or an urgent care can cost hundreds of dollars—even thousands if X-rays, MRIs or other expensive procedures are needed.

But, individuals should know that if they are harmed in a personal injury accident, they will not have to pay for these expenses up front.

2. Medical providers will make arrangements so credit scores are not affected

Many medical providers are often flexible when it comes to billing, particularly if the medical services are related to a personal injury or if an insurance company is involved. Hospitals or doctors will often postpone billing (or delay sending any unpaid bills to a collection agency) while a case is pending.

However, it is helpful to have a personal injury attorney facilitate such arrangements and speak to the appropriate billing parties about the situation.

3. You could be denied compensation if you fail to seek medical attention

The cost of healthcare should not be the only deterrent to receiving medical attention. In certain situations, injured parties are often denied compensation if they fail to see a doctor after the incident. A failure to get medical attention sends a message to insurance companies, juries and judges that a party was not sufficiently injured enough to recover damages.

Getting an attorney to be your advocate

The help and assistance of an attorney is always beneficial in situations like these. Personal injury attorneys understand the procedures involved and will reach out to the different medical professionals involved in a case to coordinate medical records and billing arrangements.

FindLaw Network
Image of attorneys Desiree Duke and Timothy Heath