InjuryFacts.nsc.org reports that in 2020, 55.4 million people sought medical attention for nonfatal preventable injuries. These injuries come from several sectors, from medical malpractice to car accidents.
Medical attention can cost several thousands of dollars in medical expenses. That’s why insurance laws allow you to sue the person who caused your injury. You’ll receive an injury settlement at the end of this trial.
However, many people wonder whether they should pursue their injury settlement before they finish their medical treatment. But, there are several factors that could make this a dangerous decision.
So, when should you accept an injury settlement? We’ll explore that question in this guide!
Should You Accept an Injury Settlement Before You Finish Your Treatment?
The short answer to this is no. Accepting an injury settlement too soon can leave you with unexpected medical expenses to pay out of pocket. Waiting to complete your treatment enables you to know your final medical treatment bills.
Unfortunately, there’s often a great deal of pressure to accept a settlement prematurely. The other party’s insurance provider often tries to pressure you to accept this settlement early. They push for this because they understand it can save them substantial money in the long run.
It’s also tempting to accept this money because of short-term issues. After all, it seems helpful to take any sum when medical bills continue piling up.
However, this is an incomplete solution. The best thing you can do is contact a personal injury lawyer. These lawyers can help you navigate this process by directly dealing with the insurance company.
These lawyers can also help you determine how much your injury settlement should be. This knowledge can help you hold out until you receive the best deal.
What About Long-Term Treatment for Personal Injuries?
Unfortunately, many personal injuries can have life-altering consequences. For example, your case could require years of treatment and physical rehabilitation.
Some types of injuries require this scale of treatment more than others. Some of these include:
- spinal injuries
- head injuries
- joint damage
Others may require longer timeframes to make a full recovery. For example, a broken leg takes longer to heal than a sprained ankle.
The costs associated with these injuries could easily reach tens of thousands of dollars. In a worst-case scenario, they could climb to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Once again, nobody could blame you if you accepted a settlement too soon in this condition. Many people do so because they believe it’s better to have some money to help them than none at all.
However, we urge you to remain patient during this process. Remember, long-term treatments can last for years. Each additional year accumulates new costs.
Instead of putting a band-aid on this financial injury, wait until you can heal the wound. Receive your injury settlement at the end of this process. This way, you know exactly how much your medical bills cost and what to fight for in your settlement.
When to Start Medical Treatment
Ideally, you’ve already begun receiving the medical treatment you require. If not, find a doctor to treat your injuries immediately.
It’s always best to begin treatment immediately after receiving your injury. Even minor injuries can cause more extensive damage than people realize.
Treating injuries soon prevents them from worsening. This decision doesn’t just affect your health, either; it can also impact your injury settlement.
If you fail to receive the medical treatment you need, you may discover the injury is worse than you knew. This scenario could have devastating consequences on your personal injury case.
So, start your case right by pursuing the treatment your injury requires. Remember to follow your doctor’s advice as closely as possible, too.
Following this guidance could make or break your injury settlement. Otherwise, the insurance company could claim you don’t deserve your desired sum because of reckless behavior regarding your health.
What Is Maximum Medical Improvement?
Doctors define maximum medical improvement as the point in your recovery when you can’t reach further improvement. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always mean you’ve achieved a full recovery.
Instead, this means you can’t get any better, regardless of the treatments you receive. In many cases, this could be because you made a full recovery. However, other situations have less optimal outcomes.
For example, imagine you received a traumatic brain injury. You’ve finally regained your motor skills and the ability to perform everyday tasks after extensive treatment. However, in spite of this, you still experience trouble with your memory.
In these cases, you may not be where you were before your injury. However, you’ve reached maximum medical improvement.
Why does this matter? Reaching this stage means you’ve completed your medical treatment. As a result, you’ll know how much your medical bills cost.
Accepting a settlement before reaching this stage allows your injuries to worsen afterward. You’ll require more treatment to deal with the complications. Unfortunately, the totals are final; you can’t go back once you’ve accepted an offer.
So, wait until you’ve reached this critical stage and completed your treatment. This patience can help you make the best decisions for your finances.
Find the Best Personal Injury Lawyer to Get the Maximum Injury Settlement
As you can see, it’s best to wait until the end of your medical treatment before accepting an injury settlement. However, this knowledge alone won’t eliminate the pressure to agree to premature settlement offers.
So, how can you guarantee you get the best settlement and get the insurance company off your back? The best solution is to hire personal injury lawyers.
Personal injury lawyers can solve several problems for you. First, they become your representatives when you hire them.
As such, they’ll deal directly with your opponent’s insurance provider. They’ll also keep you posted on events to keep you up-to-date on the proceedings.
Our team offers all of these benefits and more! Schedule a consultation with us today to learn more about your case.
CONTACT A TAMPA AUTO ACCIDENT ATTORNEY
In short, after a car accident, you may not know your rights. Above all, don’t struggle through the process alone. Actually, our personal injury team is here to help you with any legal needs you might have regarding your accident.
Lastly, let RHINO Lawyers answer your questions and review the facts of your case with a Free Consultation. So, get started by completing the “Free Instant Case Evaluation” or by calling us any time, day or night, at 844.RHINO.77.
