Communicating with Doctors After a Rhode Island Car Accident
Christopher Russo, Managing Partner at Kirshenbaum & Kirshenbaum
"Hi, I'm Christopher Russo, managing partner here at Kirshenbaum & Kirshenbaum. Today I want to talk to you about something that's very important in your personal injury case, and that's how you speak to your doctors.
The reason we talk about this is your personal injury case is very dependent upon what's in your medical records. You don't want to overlook injuries. You don't want to overlook your pain—where you're feeling it, how you're feeling it. Once a car crash happens, you're going to be seeking medical attention immediately. And you want to be sure you're communicating those details to your doctor.
First, you need to be completely honest and detailed to your doctor because you want them to help you. That's the only way they can help you and diagnose your injuries properly. Be descriptive with your words. How frequently is the pain happening? Where is it happening? Is there anything you can do to get rid of the pain? Before you went to the doctors—this is not the time to hide your injuries and symptoms. You're not going to be complaining. It's not being weak. You need to tell them this is how it feels.
Why is this important? These medical records are going to be crucial evidence in your case. Judge, jury, insurance company, defense attorneys—we're all going to be looking at these to determine what the value of your case is. They're going to be looking for what we call gaps in treatment. In other words, you're now telling this jury you suffered a shoulder injury, but you were going to the doctors for two months before you ever mentioned a shoulder injury.
These are the types of advice we give you at Kirshenbaum & Kirshenbaum, and we'll make sure there are no gaps in treatment. We'll guide you and help you with the language and tools to make sure you get everything you're entitled to.
So if you've been injured in a car crash, contact us here at Kirshenbaum & Kirshenbaum. Let us be your lawyers for life."
