Why does my personal injury lawyer want me to go to the doctor?

You might be wondering why your lawyer thinks it’s so important that you get consistent treatment.

If you’ve ever hired a personal injury lawyer following a car accident or another type of injury, you’re probably familiar with your lawyer telling you how important it is that you show up to your medical appointments consistently or that you get checked out by a doctor ASAP.

Why do lawyers care so much about this? 

Because in addition to being important for your healing, regular medical treatment increases the value of your case. 

Why?

Insurance adjusters cannot look at you and understand how hurt you are. They have to rely on your medical records and your attorney to understand the extent of your injuries. If you only go to the doctor or physical therapy a couple times, and then stop attending physical therapy because it’s inconvenient, an adjuster is not going to understand that you are still in pain. 

If your case goes to trial, the insurance company will argue that you were not seriously injured because you did not complete your treatment. They will tell the jury that you don’t care about your healing, because you stopped going to the doctor. 

Your doctor will guide your treatment and healing, not your attorney. But your attorney understands the bottom line: 

You will recover less money for your pain and suffering if you do not complete the treatments that your doctors medically recommend.

If you have questions about what kind of insurance coverage you have, read about full-coverage insurance and underinsured and uninsured motorist coverage.