How Many Medical Opinions Should I Get After an Injury?
Car accidents happen way more than you could ever imagine. According to Nashville’s Police Data Dashboard, there were more than 10,000 car accidents between January and May of 2024, and close to 3,000 of them resulted in injuries.
That many accident-related injuries in the Nashville area serve as a reminder of how important it is to make sure you are okay and to get medical treatment after a crash.
In fact, one of the first things you should do after a car accident is get checked out by a doctor. You may know that you are hurt but are unsure how hurt you really are; or you may not even realize that you have been injured at all. After an examination, a doctor will give you more information about how serious your injuries are.
They will also take detailed notes which you can use if you choose to pursue legal action against the at-fault driver. However, sometimes the first medical opinion is not always the best. Sometimes it takes seeing more than one doctor to get a more accurate look into your health.
Why you should seek a second opinion
Of course, seeing a doctor is important, but seeing more than one of them is even more important. Sometimes things can be missed or it can make you feel even more confident in your diagnosis. Plus, your legal case will only be stronger if you have multiple doctors confirming the severity of your injuries. Other reasons why you may want a second opinion include:
You feel like you aren’t being listened to
Some doctors often dismiss their patients, especially women, if they cannot see any physical symptoms. A recent study found that doctors believed women’s pain was more often psychological than men’s, even though both experienced physical pain. Having injuries that are difficult to discover or having a doctor dismiss your concerns can be difficult to deal with. However, that is all the more reason why it is a great idea to go to another practice and get a second opinion. The only way to prove how much your injuries are interfering with your life is by having a doctor validate you. If you feel like your doctor is not taking you seriously enough, give yourself some peace of mind by seeing someone else.
You are still in pain or not getting better
If you are still in pain or your symptoms are not subsiding even after seeking treatment, then it would be best to see another doctor. If you are not getting better, then you were likely misdiagnosed or your doctor underestimated the severity of your injuries. A new doctor would be able to look at you with a “fresh set of eyes” so to speak and provide a new diagnosis.
Your injuries require a specialist’s opinion
After your accident, it is possible that you went to your primary care physician for an examination. However, if you have certain injuries, sometimes your primary care physician is not the best person to determine how serious they are or the best treatment plan. For example, if you have serious burns, you may visit a doctor who specializes in burn and skin care. Or if you experienced an injury to your eye, you may visit an ophthalmologist. These types of doctors have significantly more training and experience in caring for injuries to these specific body parts. Your primary care physician is the perfect doctor to give you a full body exam, but you should see a specialist afterwards if there are more specific areas of concern.
You want to solidify your case
If you were seriously injured in a Nashville car accident, then you will definitely want to have more than one, maybe even two, doctor’s opinions on your record. When you file a lawsuit against the at-fault driver, you will need to bring solid evidence to back up your claims, like how your injuries have impacted your normal day-to-day life. If you come to the table with just one doctor’s medical notes, a judge may question the severity. But if you come with records of two or three different doctors all saying the same thing, it makes your case that much more believable—and that leaves less up for question.
You must see a doctor after any Nashville workplace injury
If you were injured on the job, you’ll have to see a doctor in order to make a claim for benefits. And you can absolutely seek a second opinion about your level of injury and care plan. Things can get a bit challenging when your GP says the work-appointed doctor is wrong about your injuries, though, so working with a workers’ compensation attorney may be to your benefit. We can help there, too.
Working with an experienced Nashville personal injury attorney can help strengthen your case. At Rocky McElhaney Law Firm, we focus on your case so you can focus on recovering from your injuries. Our attorneys will work with you to help fight for your case so you can receive the maximum compensation possible to help you recover as easily as possible from your injuries. With offices in Nashville, East Nashville, Hendersonville, Clarksville, and Murfreesboro, we’re always close when you need us. Call our office or fill out our contact form to schedule a free consultation.