Physical injuries hamper much of what we do in life. Depending on the severity, we can lose out on important aspects of our lives such as work, travel, social activities, and quality time with family. Minimizing recovery time so we can get back to living our lives is one of the most urgent items on the minds of personal injury victims, but that’s not the only reason you should seek medical care as soon as possible after your incident.
Florida has strict guidelines about when treatment must be sought in order to have your medical bills covered by your insurance in a personal injury claim. Failure to follow those guidelines could cost you thousands of dollars.
Seek Medical Treatment Within Two Weeks
In Florida, you have 14 days to seek medical treatment after a car accident. This can be complicated for some patients who have busy lives or only feel like their injuries are minor. In some cases, those minor injuries become major problems well after the 14-day window has closed.
Even if you don’t feel like your injuries are worthy of attention from a healthcare provider, you should still work with medical professionals to confirm the severity of those injuries. As long as you have at least started the process of treatment within 14 days you should be covered under personal injury protection or PIP coverage.
You Have Options
As we just mentioned, you only need to have started the process of treatment to avoid missing out on the 14-day window. What does that mean, though?
The treatment you seek is up to you as long as you go to a qualified medical professional or office to do so. This includes urgent care, the emergency room, chiropractic facility or even going to your family doctor to have a conversation about your injuries. Modern medicine has expanded to telehealth, as well, which could be your first step in meeting with a doctor.
Get Proof From a Medical Professional
If you go to a doctor and get treatment that’s a start. However, you will need the medical professional to actually confirm that you have an emergency medical condition as a result of the accident. Your doctor will generally provide you or the insurance with the documentation needed, but it doesn’t hurt to ask your doctor to provide you with a written document confirming your condition and that the condition is related to the accident itself.
At Alvarez Law Group, we have seen too many cases of people underestimating their injuries and not seeking care until it is too late. You have a minimum of $10,000 in PIP insurance available to you even if you’re at fault for an accident. Don’t let your policy go to waste, seek medical treatment immediately. If you sought treatment and still had your claim improperly denied, contact our team right away.
Alvarez Law Group
