Personal injury lawyers always recommend seeking immediate medical attention in the aftermath of a serious motorcycle accident. While seeing a physician right away could improve your chance of securing an equitable settlement, a delay will not prevent you from submitting a claim for compensation.
Why You Might Need to See a Doctor After a Tennessee Motorcycle Accident
Tennessee is a fault auto insurance state. If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident that was not your fault, you could be entitled to compensation through an insurance settlement or personal injury lawsuit.
However, the insurance company will almost certainly demand evidence that you were actually injured before offering a settlement. If you wait too long to seek medical treatment, the at-fault motorist or their insurer could claim that your injuries are unrelated to the crash. Since insurance companies are for-profit enterprises, their foremost concern is ensuring profitability. If they can find a way to attribute your injuries to another activity, they could try to devalue or deny your claim.
Seeking immediate medical attention shows the insurance company that you had genuine concerns about your health in the aftermath of a serious Tennessee motorcycle accident. Even if the doctor could not provide a definite diagnosis, your visit will still generate a medical record that you could use in later negotiations.
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You Still Have Options Even If You Waited to Seek Care
Even if you waited several days, weeks, or months to see a doctor, you could still submit a claim for damages. Every state has a statute of limitations for personal injury claims. A statute of limitations is a special rule that governs how long you have to take legal action in the aftermath of an accident.
Compared to most other states, Tennessee has a relatively short and strict statute of limitations: under ordinary circumstances, you have one year from the date of the accident to file a personal injury claim.
Preparing for a Motorcycle Crash Claim
People have compelling reasons for delays in care. Some injuries, like whiplash, are not always immediately noticeable. If you or a loved one has been injured in a Tennessee motorcycle crash, you might have foregone care because you did not think that your injuries were very serious—only to begin experiencing debilitating pain shortly afterward.
If you believe you might need additional assistance to overcome accident-related injuries, you could consider:
- Scheduling an immediate appointment. If you believe you have been injured in a motorcycle accident, schedule a doctor’s appointment as soon as possible.
- Showing up to follow-up appointments. Your doctor might ask you to see a specialist or enroll in physical therapy. While taking time away from family, friends, and work could be difficult, showing up to any subsequent appointments could show the insurance company that you have genuine concerns about your physical well-being.
- Documenting your symptoms. If you have developed pain or other symptoms you believe could be related to the accident, record them. You could create and regularly update a “pain journal,” documenting your daily symptoms and their progression.
- Ceasing communications with the insurance company. You should never agree to speak to an adjuster without first contacting an lawyer, especially if you waited to seek medical care. While adjusters are hardworking professionals, they are also trained negotiators. If they can find a way to attribute your injuries to another cause, they most likely will.
- Contacting an lawyer. Surveys have shown that people who contact an lawyer to help with an insurance claim are significantly more likely to receive a substantial settlement than those who do not. GriffithLaw could help you investigate the causes of your accident, collect evidence supporting your case, and negotiate compensation with the insurance company. If we are unable to secure a fair and equitable settlement, we could take the at-fault motorist and their insurer to court.
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You should never have to pay the price for another person’s bad decision. Please contact us online or call us at 615-807-7900 to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation as soon as possible.
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