The Right Doctor Can Help Your Injury Claim
Not all doctors are willing to become involved in a personal injury or wrongful death case. Many doctors take poor notes and keep poor records which may undermine your attorney’s ability to prove the damages in your case. Your doctor will need to write reports, be willing to have a deposition taken, assist your attorney in preparing for the deposition of the defendant’s doctor, and he must be willing to and able to testify in court. Is your doctor willing to do all of this? If not, you need to find a doctor who will be a great healthcare provider for you and a persuasive expert for a jury.
Chances are, your doctor, if he or she is willing, can fulfill these responsibilities. But if your doctor is not willing to do this, your lawyer must make arrangements for you to be treated by a doctor who can do this important job.
How You Can Help Your Doctor
First, you absolutely must give the doctor a full and accurate history. This means being complete in describing ALL of your injuries, not just the ones you think are the most important. You must also tell the doctor about ANY time in the past when you have injured, complained about, or received treatment for similar complaints for the same parts of your body injured in your new case. You must accurately report to your doctor, not just what injuries you continue to experience during the course of your treatment, but also what improvement you are making.
You or your attorney must also review the doctor’s records and reports to make sure that they are accurate. If they are not, they must be corrected before they are used to support your case.
You must also follow your doctor’s instructions for treatment and medications. If you cannot, you must tell him, so that the treatment plan can be modified. What you do not want to do is give the defendants an opportunity to accuse you of NON COMPLIANCE with your doctor’s advice.
