When you are injured in a Virginia car accident, your goal with your medical care should be to recover quickly, not to maximize your potential settlement. You need to be honest with your physician and not exaggerate your accident.
It is important that you do not exaggerate the facts of your auto accident to your physician. For example, don’t tell your doctor that the car was totaled when there was only a minor dent on the vehicle. Your doctor may be called to testify about your injuries during the trial and it can be pretty embarrassing for him or her to find out that the damage to your vehicle was minimal.
You need to be honest when it comes to the symptoms you are experiencing following your collision. Your case will not be stronger if you exaggerate your pain and discomfort, so there is no need to do so. In fact, you could end up hurting your case if you play up your symptoms. Video surveillance may show you doing activities that you claimed to your doctor that you couldn’t do.
The best thing you can do at your doctor visits is to be brutally honest. That also means you need to give an accurate medical history, including any prior accidents or significant injuries. The insurance company will already have this information anyway, so there is no need to hide it from your doctor.
For more information about what you should do after an accident, check out Ben Glass’s book, Five Deadly Sins That Can Wreck Your Injury Claim, at www.TheAccidentBook.com.
