Categories: Auto Accidents

Medical Treatment and Compensation

There are some instances whereby an individual that has been injured in a personal injury incident gets medical treatment for their injuries or decides not to. However, it is important to know the right medical treatment that will result in the individual’s injuries getting better as well as have a positive impact on the settlement value of their claim.

A person’s injuries are key and directly linked to the amount of compensation they receive; additionally, how much money is spent on medical bills for diagnosing and treating injuries is also a key element in a personal injury claim. The term used to describe the amount spent on medical bills for injury diagnosis and treatment is medical special damages. They make up part of the personal injury compensation formula used by insurance companies to determine the losses suffered by the claimant. The formula requires a number of factors to come to an accurate compensation amount; including the type of medical treatment the claimant receives and the medical providers the treatment was received from. Seek legal advice on determining your losses or damages by following the link free attorney consultation near me.

Unbeknownst to many personal injury plaintiffs, medical services are not created equally. This is especially so when it comes to determining the value of a personal injury claim. Take note of some of the variables that are taken into consideration:

Treatment and diagnosis – before a person can be treated for an injury a diagnosis must be made by medical personnel. In many cases the process of diagnosing an individual takes place quickly resulting in a small charge on a medical bill as compared to the cost of the treatment. When this is the case insurance companies do not distinguish between diagnosis and treatment, rather the medical bills are lumped together into one amount. However, in some instances the process of diagnosing a patient requires tests and examinations and these run up a large medical bill. There are also other instances whereby after a large medical bill is run for diagnosing the individual the injury itself may require little treatment. As a result, the insurance adjuster may use a lower multiplier as they view that the total medical specials do not accurately reflect the individual’s pain and suffering.

Medical doctors, hospitals and non-medical professionals – one strong prejudice that is common in the insurance industry is that treatment must be by physicians, medical clinics and hospitals, rather than by way of physical therapy, acupuncture and “alternative” medicine. Any medical bill, no matter how large and expensive, incurred from a medical doctor, medical clinic or hospital is considered to be legitimate. However, provided by non-physician medical providers insurance adjusters tend to use lower multipliers.

Treatments provided by non-physician medical providers – treatments provided by acupuncturist, herbalists, massage therapists, chiropractors and other non-physician healers attract the application of a lower multiplier by an insurance adjuster as compared to mainstream medical providers. Treatment provided by non-physician medical providers attract a lower rate of compensation by insurance company.

 

 

 

 

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