While it is important to seek medical attention immediately after a car accident, continuing your treatment can be just as important. This means attending follow-up appointments, including physical therapy sessions. Skipping physical therapy could not only be bad for your health, it could also hurt the value of your injury claim.

At Goldberg Finnegan, our attorneys understand the difficulties injury victims face, including physical and mental pain and suffering, financial struggles caused by missing work and the complexities of the legal process. Below, our attorneys explain the importance of attending physical therapy and how it could have a positive impact on your injury claim.

Why You Need to Follow the Doctor’s Orders

When you are seeking compensation in an injury claim, insurance companies often look for any little reason to devalue or deny your claim. If you stop going to physical therapy, insurance adjusters may claim that your injuries are not severe, and you need less compensation than your lawyer is seeking.

Insurers may begin to question the validity of your claim and say that you are not trying to improve your health by stopping treatment. They may be questioning how bad your injury could really be if you are refusing treatment.

Being proactive about your medical treatment could help your lawyer obtain maximum compensation and keep the insurance companies from questioning the validity and severity of your injuries.

If you have any questions about your injury claim, contact a Silver Spring car accident lawyer at Goldberg Finnegan. Our attorneys can review your claim in a no-cost consultation, and we will not charge any lawyer fees unless we win compensation for you.

Health Benefits of Attending Physical Therapy

Not only could physical therapy help speed up your recovery, it could also help you regain strength, movement and function in the affected area. Physical therapy could also help your mental health by boosting your mood. Depression and other mental health issues could hurt your physical recovery.

Physical therapy is also beneficial because it may help prevent additional injuries. Sometimes when your body is in a weakened state you are more vulnerable to a fall or strain. This is often because victims had to immobilize a body part, causing the muscles to weaken from lack of use.

Another potential benefit of physical therapy is it may help you avoid surgery or speed up your recovery after surgery. Doing exercises under the supervision of a medical professional may also help eliminate the need for prescription medications, such as painkillers. Some painkillers are addictive, and this can lead to many more problems down the road.

Tips for Getting the Most out of Physical Therapy

There are some things you can do to help get the most out of your treatment:

  1. Provide a detailed medical history – When you receive an initial examination by your doctor and/or physical therapist, it is important to mention any past injuries or illnesses that you have experienced. It is also helpful to provide an accurate timeline about the health problems you have been experiencing, including the intensity of the pain you are dealing with.
  2. Do not skip medical appointments – Although it could be both physically and mentally challenging, it is critical to attend all scheduled physical therapy appointments. It is often necessary to continually do exercises and other activities to begin feel the benefits. If you need to reschedule an appointment, notify your health care provider promptly and try to attend the next available session. Missing appointments could be used by insurers as a reason to devalue your claim.
  3. Communicate with your therapist – It is important to communicate with your physical therapist if your sessions are too demanding or not challenging enough. Only you know what you are feeling so it is critical to communicate these feelings with your therapist.

Call a Licensed Lawyer for a Free Consultation

If you or a loved one was injured in an accident, discussing your claim with a licensed lawyer could be an important step in the recovery process.

The licensed lawyers at Goldberg Finnegan are prepared to hear the details of your claim in a free case review. We work on contingency – which means we charge you nothing unless we win your case.