Kemp & Ruge Law Group: Why Your Doctor Won't Treat Your Car Accident Injury?

Summertime in Florida conjures up some of the best memories one can have: grilling out, backyard sports and long days at the beach. However, inevitably, the occasional "can't believe that happened" moment enters our mind as we recall that time, "Uncle Johnny singed his eyebrows when his Weber flared up, Cousin Mikey sprained his ankle leaping for the oak tree pylon, and Lil' Susie stepped on an ornery stingray when she forgot to shuffle her feet." Summertime injuries are just part of the "give-and-take" of enjoying the wonderful weather and sunshine we have. Plus, when we get injured, most of us just go to our family doctor to get all fixed up, and it is no big deal. This is the pattern most people are comfortable with when it comes to getting injured. They get hurt, they visit their doctor, they get better. However, this pattern no longer applies if the injury was sustained in a car accident.

After sustaining a car accident injury, several people are bewildered to find out their family doctor, who they have gone to for everything from sniffles to broken bones, will not treat them. Car accidents are stressful enough without the added burden of having to find another physician, not to mention the fact that, most people do not even know why they are being refused in the first place. Kemp & Ruge Law Group understands the frustration and confusion this causes, so we want to explain some of the reasons why this happens and what to expect.

Why Your Doctor Will Not Treat You:

Though you may have a great rapport with your family doctor, it is usually better for BOTH of you to go to a physician who specializes in car accidents. Physicians who specialize in car accidents not only know how to treat your injury, but they understand how to document it and bill the auto insurance companies. While getting healed is your first priority, as attorneys, we can not stress how important it is to make sure all of your injuries are documented correctly. By "documented correctly" we mean, photographs, statements, timely treatments, etc, and they are essential to ensure you get the best possible outcome if you bring a case against the at-fault driver or his insurance company. Your average family doctor does not have experience with this level of documentation, and therefore may miss an important piece of documentation you need.

Another reason your family doctor may refuse to treat you has to do with litigation. Sometimes car accident cases cannot be settled and going to trial is inevitable. At that point, the family care doctor may be subpoenaed to testify or, at the very least, get deposed by the two litigating parties. A family care doctor (generally) is more used to treating colds, stomach pains and twisted ankles, than testifying in open court. Plus, this whole process can be very time consuming for him, and in turn, very costly because he cannot see his usual patients. Therefore, family doctors gladly pass this responsibility onto the physicians who specialize in car accident injuries, because they ARE familiar with the whole legal process and will (most likely) present a better case for you.

Finally, the last reason involves billing. Your family doctor is used to billing health insurance companies. However, if you are in a car accident, they need to bill auto insurance companies. It may not seem like a major change to the average person, but it is substantial. There are different forms, rules, regulations, stipulations, limits, co-pays, and the list goes on. Thus, your family doctor, who is (most likely) unfamiliar with the auto insurance company's way of billing would rather refer you to someone who knows how to do it. Hence, another reason there are physicians who specialize in car accidents.

Kemp & Ruge Law Group

Tuesday, 6 August 2013

Why Your Doctor Won't Treat Your Car Accident Injury?

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