Medical Evidence in Personal Injury Claims
Victims of accidents caused by the recklessness or negligence of other parties are not automatically entitled to financial compensation. One of the pillars of any solid personal injury claim is proving the nature and the severity of the injuries sustained. Today, our personal injury attorneys will be discussing what actions accident victims can take, how medical evidence is gathered, and the impact of medical evidence on personal injury claims.
Contact us today for a free and confidential consultation if you or a loved one has been injured in a motor vehicle accident, construction accident, slip and fall accident, defective product accident, or any other kind of accident.
Paterson, NJ Personal Injury Attorneys Recommend Seeking Immediate Medical Attention
For those injured in an accident, the best course of action is to see a doctor as soon as possible. It is important to understand that even personal injury claims which are settled out of court require a certain level of evidence in order to be considered valid. No matter how obvious your injuries may seem, the diagnosis of a medical professional is an essential part of the legal process.
Not only will your doctor’s diagnosis be used to show that your injury was genuine, but our Paterson attorneys may also use this information to prove the severity of the injury and the long term financial impacts. These impacts may include the inability to return to work, necessary ongoing medical treatments, and potentially even permanent disability which will require a lifetime of financial consideration.
Use of Expert Witness Testimony in Passaic County Personal Injury Claims
Many personal injury claims involve relatively straightforward injuries such as broken bones, sprains, lacerations, and so forth. However, for those which involve medically and legally complex injuries including brain injuries, paralysis, spinal cord injuries, and so forth, our Passaic County legal team may call on the testimony of expert witnesses.
A primary reason our attorneys may use an expert witness or witnesses is to refute the testimony of an “independent medical examination”. These examinations are anything but independent, and are performed by doctors who are being paid by the insurance companies.
The results of independent medical examinations may challenge the severity of your injuries, claim that your injuries were pre-existing, or even aim to show that your injuries were not the result of the accident in question. Our expert witnesses will refute these claims one-by-one using evidence which may include medical tests, previous diagnoses from other doctors, the exact nature of your accident, and much more.
Wayne Personal Injury Lawyers Use Medical Evidence to Recover Compensation
The end result of the medical evidence gathering process is of course to recover full and fair compensation for your injuries. It is vital that our Wayne personal injury attorneys leave no stone unturned when it comes to proving your claim. Especially for complex and high dollar amount claims, medical evidence can be used to definitively prove your claim and lead to the fullest possible payouts. Consider the following example:
An man is injured in a car accident. Although he feels relatively well after the accident, his back is bothering him. He wisely makes an appointment to see his doctor the following day. After a medical examination including an MRI and a CT scan, it was determined that the man had suffered a concussion and a dislocated vertebrae. As time goes by, his symptoms worsen, leading to headaches, confusion, and difficulty moving due to his spinal injury. If the victim had waited until weeks later when his symptoms worsened, his claim would be weakened.
Once in the personal claims process, the victim’s doctor is able to present the CT scan and MRI as definitive proof of the injuries. The doctor also testifies that in a physical from earlier in the year, the victim showed no signs of brain or spinal injury. Based on this testimony, the injured man is able to recover compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more.
Contact our Clifton Personal Injury Attorneys Today
The personal injury attorneys of Fredson & Statmore have 50 years of combined experience serving victims of injurious accidents in our local New Jersey communities including Paterson, Clifton, Wayne, West Milford, Woodland Park, Little Falls, and all of Passaic County. Our firm practices personal injury law exclusively, allowing our legal team to focus on what matters most to our clients. Contact us online for a free and confidential consultation regarding your accident, your injuries, and your potential personal injury claim.