Why You Don't Want To Get Too Many Medical Opinions After An Injury

11 September 2018
 Categories: , Blog


If you've suffered an injury and think that legal action might be appropriate, you'll want to consult with a doctor who can assess your injury. Many people may think that visiting multiple doctors and specialists can be advantageous — that when they find one who thinks that their injury is more serious than the other professionals might think, they can use this medical professional's diagnosis as the basis for their personal injury case. While there might be some merits to consulting multiple doctors, consulting too many can also be detrimental. Here are some reasons that you don't want to get too many medical opinions after an injury.

It Could Suggest Fraudulent Intentions

If your personal injury case goes to court, the other party's attorneys will often question how many medical experts you consulted about your injury before settling on one doctor's diagnosis. If you're forced to answer that you consulted a lot of people, the attorneys may paint a picture of you attempting to find someone who would exaggerate the state of your injury so that you could demand more in your legal case. This may make you look like someone who is acting in a fraudulent manner — in other words, carefully looking for whatever doctor deems your injury to be the worst so that you can get more in damages.

It Doesn't Show Urgency

Anyone who has a serious, life-affecting injury will look to seek treatment right away. However, if you've taken a period of days or perhaps even a couple weeks to visit different doctors to have them assess your injury, it's easy for the other party's attorneys to say that your behavior indicates a lack of urgency in getting care. They'll then make the argument that your lack of urgency isn't normal behavior for someone who is dealing with a serious injury, which suggests that you're exaggerating the state of your injury in court.

Investigators Can Dig Into Different Doctors

While it's unlikely that the investigators who work for the other party's attorneys will be able to get your medical records from each doctor you've visited, they may know of the reputation of some of the medical experts you've consulted. Certain doctors have reputations for being more liberal with their diagnoses — in other words, claiming injuries are more serious than they actually are so that their patients can be awarded more in damages. If you saw a lot of doctors before finding one with this reputation, the other party's attorneys will attack your decision making.

If you have been injured and haven't yet consulted with a personal injury lawyer, be sure to contact one in your area for further advice.


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