False Assumption - 7. The pain has generally gone away
Posted Tuesday, July 24, 2007 by Ed Harper
The pain has generally gone away, so I do not really need to follow my health care provider’s instructions. Once you seek health care, it is very important that you follow the instructions of your physician. Occasionally, a client will stop the treatment regimen (i.e. physical therapy, exercise, medication) recommended by their. This creates questions as to the follow-through of the patient and their willingness to assist in their own recovery.
An injured person must act reasonably to “mitigate” their own damages/injuries. To mitigate means, in part, to follow the instructions of the health care provider(s) so that your injuries are lessened and/or the duration of care is shortened.
I am certainly not suggesting that anyone keep treating for an extended period of time without any benefit! In fact, it is very possible for an injured person to treat for too long with a certain type of health care, even to the point of damaging the eventual outcome of their claim. We often seen massage therapy or chiropractic care go on for an extended period of time without much improvement in the symptoms. The insurance companies will use this to de-value the claim, indicating that the patient should have sought different types of treatment rather than continue indefinitely in one or two types of care that do not appear to be significantly aiding in the recovery. Thus, each individual must gauge whether the health care method recommended and/or chosen is actually helping assist in the recovery process. An injured person must “act reasonably”, i.e. to do what others in a similar situation would do. At Harper Law, we are happy to provide insight to an injured person needing answers concerning health care following a collision.
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