When you are injured in an accident, answer the questions truthfully, correctly, and as accurately as possible. When police, emergency medical personnel, insurance adjusters, or bystanders ask them how they feel or if they are hurt, some people answer that they are “fine” when in actuality they are hurting, in pain, scared, upset, or dizzy or feel discomfort. When you are asked how you feel after an accident, be candid. Do not overstate your injuries or understate them either.
You may feel better one day and worse the next. However, answer the questions about what is hurting, sore, injured, and painful and whether you are upset, uneasy, or uncertain. At all times, the best course is to be straightforward, accurate, and clear. Make sure that you understand the questions that you are being asked.
If you either understate or overstate your injuries, healthcare professionals will not have solid information to help you get better. If you tell a doctor or healthcare professional that you are “fine” during a doctor’s visit when in actuality you are not “fine,” the doctor or healthcare professional will note that in your medical chart. When your lawyer is trying to settle your case, the insurance adjuster will have read the doctor’s note in which you said you were “fine,” and that statement may affect your settlement or what a jury awards you at trial. Similarly, overstating your injuries not only keeps the doctors from better assessing your medical condition but also hurts your legal case. If you purposefully do not tell the truth about your injuries, you undermine yourself.
So, remember: Tell the truth. Be accurate.
If you get injured as a result of an accident, know this: You have rights and legal remedies. But remember: Be accurate and truthful about your injuries. For more information, contact Nashville Personal Injury Attorney Perry A. Craft.