11.15.20

Can a Delayed Medical Diagnosis Affect My Claim?

Not all accident injuries are immediately apparent. Some have delayed symptoms that lead to delayed medical diagnoses. It is important to wait until you have verified whether or not you have an injury before settling your accident claim with an insurance company. While it is natural to want to resolve your case as quickly as possible, waiting could be the only way to obtain fair compensation – especially if you have a delayed medical diagnosis.

Common Delayed Diagnoses

Depending on the nature of the injury, as well as the circumstances of the accident, you may not notice pain or other injury symptoms immediately after an accident. After a traumatic car crash, for example, your adrenaline could mask the symptoms of a serious injury, such as a broken bone. It is critical to see a doctor immediately after any type of accident in Kansas City in case you have hidden or delayed injury symptoms. Certain injuries have delayed diagnoses more often than others.

Symptoms that commonly arise hours or even days after the injury itself include headaches, general pain, stiffness, soreness, bruising, tingling, numbness, abdominal pain, dizziness and post-traumatic stress disorder. Going to the doctor right away after an accident can help you diagnose injuries even before you notice symptoms. This can lead to a stronger injury claim in Kansas City. If you do not receive a medical diagnosis until after your accident, however, you could still have grounds for a lawsuit.

Did You Admit to Not Being Injured?

A delayed medical diagnosis could negatively affect your claim if you went on record saying you did not have any injuries from the accident. If you thought you had no injuries while at the scene of a car accident, for example, and said this to the police officer taking down a report, this could make it more difficult to receive insurance benefits. The insurance company will review the police report and see that you answered no when asked if you had any injuries. This could raise a red flag for the insurance company, which may then question if your injuries came from the auto accident at all. For this reason, it is best not to answer any questions about possible injuries until you have seen a doctor after an accident in Kansas City.

What Is the Point of Maximum Medical Improvement?

Another way in which a delayed medical diagnosis could affect your claim is by extending the processing timeline. You should not accept an insurance settlement until you have received an official medical diagnosis and prognosis report. Without an official diagnosis, you will not know the full extent of your injuries or how long to expect them to last. In general, you should wait until you reach the point of maximum medical improvement to accept an insurance settlement. This is the point at which a doctor believes you will not recover any further from your injuries.

Although waiting for the point of maximum medical improvement can lengthen the timeline of your claim, it can also lead to greater compensation for your past and future injury-related losses. if you accept a settlement before reaching this point, you may accept less than your injury is worth. You may not fully understand how much your injury will cost in terms of future treatments and physical therapies. Waiting for a full diagnosis and prognosis, however, can give you a more accurate idea of the lifelong costs of your injury. This can allow you to demand fair compensation during an injury claim. To discuss how a delayed medical diagnosis may affect your injury claim, contact a personal injury lawyer in Kansas City.

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