If you have been injured in a car accident or some other situation where you will be dealing with an insurance company, one of the common steps you will likely need to take during your claims process is a compulsory medical examination.
As with any and all interactions you have with the insurance company, its representatives, or anyone else involved with the process which has anything to do with the insurance company, keep in mind that these people are not working on your behalf, but are instead actively working to gather evidence that will protect the insurance company and their financial interests.
As the name suggests, a compulsory medical examination is likely mandatory in order for you to move forward with your claim, but if you are working with a Winter Park Personal Injury Attorney during the process, they will make sure that every step you take is working in your favor, or at least protecting your interests. Take a look below to learn about how you should approach these examinations in order to best cover your own bases and make sure you do not complicate your case accidentally.
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Schedule Your Own Examination As Well
Whether or not you have visited your primary care physician already about the injuries you sustained in the accident, make sure that you see them the same day as your compulsory medical exam, or within a day or two.
This way, you will be able to present the exam results alongside the results that the insurance company’s doctor compiled. This way, you will be able to point out any glaring differences in findings and make sure that you are fighting for what you deserve, and not what the insurance company and their doctors want to cover.
Consult Your Attorney Before The Exam
It is very important that you consult with your attorney every step of the way through the claims process, but it is especially important that you understand what you can and can not say during your examination. Since the doctor is essentially a contractor for the insurance company, they will be paying close attention to any statements that you make that might relax their financial obligations.
In many cases, a simple statement might complicate things for you simply because of legalities, even though it may have been entirely innocuous in context. There is little more frustrating than realizing your case is in jeopardy because of a seemingly meaningless statement you made during your examination.
Avoid Small Talk During Your Examination
In keeping with the above concern, avoid small talk during the examination to make sure that you do not say anything to the doctor that will cause legal issues for you down the road. This doctor or physician is hired by the insurance company as an expert witness to fight your case and minimize the damages that you receive, meaning that this entire exam is intended to build a counter-argument for your case and to downplay the severity of your injuries.
Any small talk that you make simply increases the risk of you making an accidental statement that will be used against you in court. At the same time, do not be rude to the doctor, or attempt to be unhelpful, as that will not help anything either.
Again, consulting with your personal injury attorney before your exam will be very helpful in order to give you a better idea of what you can and cannot say, and how to carry yourself through the examination process.
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