4 Things That Increase Your Medical Damages After an Accident

Medical damages form a significant chunk of auto accident damages. Medical damages vary by different factors, including nature and type of treatment. Read on to learn about four factors that are likely to raise your medical damages.

1. Ambulance Use

The ambulance is the first medical expense for many accident victims. The cost of the ambulance ride will depend on:

• The support services you receive in the ambulance
• The location of your accident
• The type of ambulance (whether nonprofit or for-profit)

Some auto accident victims avoid ambulance rides to the emergency room (ER) due to the associated costs.

Unfortunately, avoiding the ambulance is not a good idea since:

• The ambulance will get you to the hospital faster than other modes of transportation. Fast ER treatment may mean the difference between effective treatment and medical complications.
• The ambulance comes equipped with medical equipment and personnel who may start the treatment even before getting to the hospital.
• An ambulance ride signals that your injuries are relatively serious, which comes in handy when you file and negotiate your auto accident settlement.

Thus, you should call for an ambulance if you have significant injuries or are in pain or if someone suggests it. Don't refuse the ambulance if someone calls it. Let the first responders care for your health, and then worry about the costs later.

2. Imaging Tests

The auto accident defendant should compensate you for all treatments costs, including diagnostic costs. Diagnosis is necessary to help your doctors treat the right problems. Your doctor may order different diagnoses, depending on:

• Initial observations
• Your medical history
• Your complaints

Some diagnoses are costlier than others. For example, diagnoses that call for imaging tests are relatively expensive.

Some examples of imaging tests you might need include the following:

• X-rays
• Computerized tomography (CT) scans
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
• Ultrasound
• Positron emission tomography (PET)

Your injuries and injured body part determine the imaging test you need and related costs. For example, MRIs and CT scans can cost thousands of dollars.

3. Surgery

Surgeries increase your damages in different ways. For example, surgery to repair a fractured vertebra can cost as much as $150,000. Surgeries increase damages because they:

• Attract relatively high medical bills due to the expertise and resources they require
• Require a long recovery time, which may keep you away from work or household duties
• Can involve a painful recovery process

Some surgeries you might need include:

• Brain or head surgery if you have suffered an extreme traumatic brain injury (TBI) that alternative treatments cannot handle
• Orthopedic surgery if you have suffered compound fractures or fractures in sensitive parts of the body, such as the spine
• Injuries to internal critical organs, such as penetrating trauma to the liver from a sharp object
• Reconstructive surgeries if your accident has left you extremely disfigured or scarred

The nature of your auto accident injuries determines the necessary surgery.

4. Specialist Treatment

Lastly, the need for different medical specialists can also increase your overall medical damages. Specialists cost more than other physicians because of their specialized training and medical equipment. For example, you might need:

• A psychiatrist if you have developed mental health problems alongside your physical injuries, such as post-traumatic stress disorder
• A cardiologist if you have suffered cardiovascular injuries, such as injuries to the heart
• An orthopedist if you have suffered injuries to the skeletal system

Your general physician may suggest some specialists for you to see. Follow your doctor's advice; otherwise, the defendant might accuse you of failing to mitigate your damages.

The defendant's insurance company will try to minimize your damages. Contact Walsh & Associates, PC to help you get the damages you deserve. You can rely on our expertise and over 30 years of experience with accident cases.