It is no surprise to learn that insurance companies have lots of money and spend millions of dollars each year to sponsor every event imaginable to convince you that “they are a good neighbor,” that “you are in good hands,” or that “they are on your side.”
Unfortunately, the reality is that insurance companies are not on your side and care little about what happens to you. Indeed, they are made of profit, which means their job is to pay as little as possible on injury claims to increase their profit margins.
To increase their profit margins, typical injury claims are dictated by a computer algorithm that determines the value of each claim based on the information provided. So, naturally, the more information provided on a claim, and consequently incorporated into the algorithm, the better the results. But, how do you ensure that more information and, more importantly, “the right information” are provided?
The best way to accomplish this is to document your injuries and your symptoms following an accident. Here are some tips:
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- If you are involved in a car accident, get checked out by a health care provider, whether it’s Urgent Care, Emergency Room, your local chiropractor, or your primary care physician, and when doing so, make sure you report ALL of your symptoms, no matter how minor. Also, take photos of any visible injuries, including cuts and bruises, and take photos of your damaged vehicle.
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- If you slip and fall on the premises of a business, report the incident to the business, and, if possible, take photos of the condition and the surrounding areas that caused you to slip and fall. Thereafter, get checked out by a health care provider, whether it’s Urgent Care, Emergency Room, your local chiropractor, or your primary care physician, and when doing so, make sure you report ALL of your symptoms, no matter how minor. Also, take photos of any visible injuries.
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- If you are attacked and bitten by a dog, seek immediate help at Urgent Care or the Emergency Room. Thereafter, report the incident to animal control and take photos of all visible injuries, including bite marks, scratches, and bruises.
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- If you believe you have food poisoning after eating out, seek immediate help at Urgent Care or the Emergency Room and report ALL of your symptoms. Also, contact the establishment and report the incident.
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- If you sustain a burn injury as a result of someone else’s carelessness (negligence), seek immediate help at Urgent Care or the Emergency Room and report ALL of your symptoms. Also, take photos of any visible injuries, including bite marks, scratches, and bruises.
Follow-up Treatments
If you have follow up treatment for your injuries, make sure you report ALL of your symptoms EVERY TIME you visit your chiropractor or physical therapist.
Keep a Journal
You should also keep a journal, documenting your symptoms and how those symptoms affect your daily life activities. This would be the basis for your pain and suffering. If you fail to document your symptoms and how they affect your daily life activities, the adjuster in charge of the claim will not have the necessary information to determine how your injuries affect you personally, and no information to gauge your pain and suffering.
There are additional reasons why documentation is important. Insurance companies are prone to audits, which means each claim file may be subject to an audit. When a claim file is audited, there has to be a justification for paying out a claim as well as the amount paid out for the claim. So, the more documentation a claim file has, the better the chances that the claim adjuster will be able to explain the payout. So, don’t be shy. Document your injuries, and document your pain and suffering.
This article is brought to you by The Mason Law Firm, managed by Mason Rashtian who has been litigating personal injury and accident cases for over 27 years. We handle all sorts of personal injury and accident cases all throughout California, including Los Angles, Santa Clarita Valley, San Fernando Valley, and Antelope Valley.
If you are injured as a result of someone else’s carelessness (negligence), please feel free to contact us for a free consultation. We work on contingency and there is never any out-of-pocket fees or expenses for our clients. You can reach us at 661-270-5677, or by simply filling out our contact page by clicking here.
This article is for informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice.