Every year in the USA there are approximately six million car accidents. These accidents kill around 40,000 Americans and leave 2. 7 million more injured.
So if you’re involved in a car accident, the chance of your walking away unscathed isn’t high. Fortunately, making a medical insurance claim following an accident can help you get some compensation. This could help you cover medical bills and any loss of earnings while you recover.
But to make a successful claim, you need to make a strong case. And this is where getting an independent medical exam could help.
Want to know more? Then read on to find out everything you need to know about making a car accident insurance claim.
What Can You Make an Insurance Claim for After an Accident?
There are numerous things you can claim for following a car accident. Financial support to repair the damage is a major one. But if you have any injuries following your accident, then it’s important to make a claim for these too.
Car accidents can result in a huge number of injuries. Some of the most common injuries include:
- Whiplash
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Broken or bruised ribs
- Trauma to your knees
- Herniated discs
- Infection from scrapes or cuts
- Psychological distress, such as post-traumatic stress disorder
A successful claim will cover any medical bills and help you pay for further treatment to support your recovery. For example, if you need physical therapy while recovering, you can cover the cost of this as well. Or if your accident has a psychological impact you can claim to cover therapy costs.
Some injuries will also mean that you can’t work for some time. If this happens then your claim will help you to cover any loss of earning during this period.
Getting an independent medical exam is the first step in this process.
What is an Independent Medical Exam?
After a car accident, a doctor should always carry out a thorough check for any injuries. And if you suffer from any injuries further down the road you can go to see your regular doctor to check these out.
However, it’s also important to get an independent medical exam or an IME carried out as well. This is an examination that an independent doctor approved by your insurance company carries out on you.
As medical exams go, this examination won’t feel any different one that your regular doctor would carry out. But an independent doctor won’t know you prior to your examination so they can make a totally unbiased assessment of your injuries.
How Can an Independent Medical Examination Help Your Claim?
Having an unbiased medical exam is extremely important when making a successful claim on your insurance.
When you make an insurance claim you have to present evidence to support your claim. For an injury claim, this includes presenting medical notes from a qualified doctor that confirms your injuries.
These will outline the extent of your injuries, how much treatment costs and how long your recovery time will be. They will also advise on whether or not you are able to work during your recovery period or not. All of this is important to demonstrate why you are making your claim and that it is legitimate.
However, some insurance companies are reluctant to pay out on claims. They will look for opportunities to undermine this evidence. Siting a doctor’s bias can let them do just this.
A pre-existing relationship with your doctor might mean they exaggerate injuries in their reports. It is very unlikely that any decent doctor would risk their license by doing this. But this argument alone could be enough to overturn your claim.
If you seek an independent medical exam then this means the insurance company can’t make this argument. So it could save your entire case! But getting an independent medical exam isn’t the only way to support your insurance claim.
What Else Do You Need to Make Your Claim?
There are a couple of things you will need to do in order to make your insurance claim watertight.
Getting proof of liability is an absolute must. This demonstrates who was at fault in the accident. If the accident wasn’t your fault then this can make your claim much stronger and your insurer will process it quickly.
Things you can use as proof of liability include:
- Photographic or video footage of the accident
- Police reports from the accident
- Trial records if the accident goes to court
- Eye witness accounts of the accident
A car accident attorney will be able to help you source this evidence, which leads us onto the other thing you need to make a strong claim.
Hiring a car accident lawyer will significantly strengthen your case. They will make sure you submit all the necessary evidence with your insurance claim. And they’ll help you avoid mistakes that could hurt your case.
They will also be able to put you in touch with a reliable doctor to perform your independent medical exam. So you can kill two birds with one stone by looking up ‘a car accident lawyer near me’!
Finally, before you make a claim, make sure you check your insurance policy. Some policies will have a limit on how much you can claim. But your lawyer will be able to talk you through how to use your policy to claim the most you possibly can.
Get Help Today!
If you’re serious about making a car accident insurance claim then you should get an independent medical exam as soon as possible. And having an experienced attorney in your corner will help you make the strongest claim possible.
There’s no need to start Googling ‘car accident attorney near me’. Get in touch with a brilliant attorney to help with your case today!
