You’ve been injured in an accident. What’s next? Rest, recovery, and a lot of paperwork to move your personal injury case along.
Resting on the couch, while important for your recovery, may not help you when filing a claim. The insurance adjuster reading about your injury may not understand the severity of your accident if you have not sought professional medical treatment for it.
Of course, not every injury requires surgery, crutches, or other expensive treatments. If you have been injured, you might just need some help recovering and restoring your body to where it was before the accident. This is where a physical therapist can help.
Physical therapy can also help you when you have to fill out paperwork and prove that you really did suffer from your accident. Keep reading to learn if physical therapy is for you and how it can help you throughout your personal injury case.
How Physical Therapy Can Help After an Accident
Do not brush off physical therapy just because you don’t think you “need it.” If you are in pain or have been affected by an injury, consider reaching out to a physical therapist. They can assess your injuries and develop a plan to get you back to your everyday activities faster.
Physical therapists use exercises, adjustments, and take other actions to:
- Determine any conditions or symptoms caused by the accident
- Reduce pain
- Increase range of motion
- Restore movement to areas that have been injured
- Prevent further impairments, limitations, or disabilities
- Restore quality of life
Even if your symptoms are minor, a physical therapist can help. Your doctor can also provide more information on whether physical therapy is right for you.
How Physical Therapy Helps Put Your Injury Into Perspective
You know how much you have suffered after an accident. You face limitations every day. But putting a dollar amount on those limitations is not easy. It’s hard to communicate through paperwork just how debilitating or painful it is to walk, sit or bend down. Or not to be able to play with children or grandchildren, or to miss outings with your team at work.
Going to a physical therapist can help to put your injury into proper perspective for insurance adjusters and anyone looking over your case. Remember, a physical therapist can both diagnose and treat your injuries. If there is proof that you sought treatment, you will have proof that your injuries were making a serious impact on your ability to get back to work or engage in everyday activities.
A physical therapist can also provide recommendations for treatments. If you can show proof that an expert recommended these treatments, your insurance is more likely to cover the costs.
If there is proof that a doctor specifically recommended physical therapy for your injuries, they may be taken more seriously. Serious injuries result in higher compensation.
Your physical therapist may be able to speak to your injuries for the court.
If your case is taken to court, your physical therapist may be able to speak to your injuries. A physical therapist is an expert in range of motion, injuries, and how they affect your everyday life. When an expert can provide this type of statement, you will have a much better chance at winning your case and getting the compensation you deserve.
Talk to a lawyer about how to pursue physical therapy for your injuries.
Not all insurance adjusters look at physical therapy in the same way. The number of physical therapy sessions you attend, the treatments given, as well as your doctor’s role in the physical therapy, may impact how the treatment is covered by insurance. In all cases, it is important to follow through with medical treatment.
Additionally, if you were receiving physical therapy before your accident, this may also have an impact on your claim.
Be sure to talk to a lawyer sooner rather than later, and seek treatment immediately. Any delays in treatment can potentially hurt your claim — especially in car accident cases.
Need More Help with Your Personal Injury Case?
Physical therapy is not your only option. If you have been injured after an accident, you can seek many types of treatment to address your condition and limitations. Keep detailed information about your visits with medical professionals and any treatment that you might receive for your injuries.
Don’t wait to get help. Remember, all personal injury claims are governed by strict deadlines. This means that if you don’t act on time, you may lose valuable legal rights! Talk to Richard I. Feingold & Associates, P.C. for ways to ensure that you get the compensation you need as soon as possible.
Author:
Richard I. Feingold
Richard I. Feingold & Associates, P.C.
Personal Injury & Social Security Disability
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