Auto Accident Doctor Near Me

A car accident typically delivers more than a physical jolt. It also can deliver a mental and emotional jolt that makes it difficult to process information. However, processing information and processing it fast is vital in your eventual quest to seek compensation to recover from all your financial losses.

The first thought to process concerns your health. Many people may quickly turn to their smartphones and search “auto accident doctor near me” to get answers about possible injuries. If these injuries were caused due to the negligence of someone else, then the next search should be “best auto accident lawyer near me.” It is likely you’ll find Morgan & Morgan at the top of your results list.

For more than three decades, Morgan and Morgan has represented clients for every type of personal injury case, including motor vehicle collisions. Our personal injury attorneys have recovered more than $20 billion in compensation over that period, but we are much more than a law firm that has established a proven record of success in getting clients the compensation that they deserve. Plus, our personal injury attorneys have earned a reputation for helping clients recover from their injuries after a car accident by referring them to the best healthcare providers. 

Learn more about receiving the compensation that you deserve by scheduling a free case evaluation today with a personal injury attorney from Morgan and Morgan.

What Are the Most Common Types of Car Accident Injuries Treated by Doctors?

An auto crash can produce a wide variety of injuries that differ in severity. Some of the injuries that result from the impact of a car accident develop delayed symptoms, which means if you feel healthy enough to remain at the scene of an auto crash, you should eventually seek medical attention to determine the extent of slow-developing injuries.

Let’s review the most common car accident injuries treated by doctors.

Fractured Bone

Our instincts take over when we sense danger, which includes protecting ourselves before the impact of a motor vehicle collision. The instinct to brace for impact by using our arms can lead to a fracture of the arm or wrist, as well as a dislocated elbow and/or shoulder. Both legs also are especially vulnerable to bone fractures, especially the lower leg near the ankle. Bone fractures vary in severity from a simple break that requires the wearing of a cast to a compound fracture requiring one or more surgeries to set the broken bone correctly in place.

Bruises

The body takes a pounding from the impact generated by most car accidents. Even if you do not fracture a bone, you can sustain several deep bruises that trigger tremendous pain. Deep bruises take considerable time to heal, as well as cause enough damage to prevent a car accident victim from returning to work for several days or a couple of weeks. The passage of time is the best treatment for bruises, which means victims must remain patient by not participating in activities that require physical exertion.

Brain Trauma

Despite the advancement in safety features for contemporary automobiles, even the most secure safety belt system cannot prevent the head from making an impact on a stationary object. Brain trauma can be as mild as a minor concussion that fades away after a few days to life-threatening internal bleeding that disrupts the neurotransmitters in the brain that send electrical impulses throughout the body. The most severe cases of brain trauma produce symptoms that do not diminish in severity for the rest of a victim’s lifetime.

Whiplash

When you make contact with another motor vehicle, your head and neck snap back forcefully before quickly adjusting position by moving forward with just as much intensity. The result of the violent movement of the head and neck is called whiplash, which represents one of the injuries after a car accident that can produce delayed symptoms. If you suffer from whiplash, you can expect to feel intense pain in the neck and shoulders, as well as possibly the development of a serious concussion. Whiplash also can do considerable damage to the spine, particularly the discs that provide a cushion between each vertebra.

What Actions Cause the Most Car Accidents?

The goal of the personal injury attorney that you work with from Morgan and Morgan is to get you just compensation to recover from financial losses. The first step on this journey involves determining the cause of the auto crash. Each of the following causes determines the extent of a victim’s injuries.

Reckless Driving

From failing to signal to running through a red light, reckless driving is the most common cause of auto crashes. Your personal injury attorney from Morgan and Morgan proves another party committed one or more acts of reckless driving by obtaining the footage captured by a traffic and/or security camera. Another type of reckless driving that has emerged as a national issue concerns a driver committing an act of road rage, which usually involves committing an act of revenge against another motorist. 

Speeding represents the one act of reckless driving that potentially generates the most serious injuries as the result of a car accident. According to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) study released in 2018, motorists that exceed the speed limit are responsible for more than 25 percent of all fatal motor vehicle collisions. Exceeding the speed limit makes it difficult to react in time to sudden changes in road and traffic conditions. In addition, the faster a vehicle moves, the stronger impact it makes on another car.

Driving While Intoxicated

Eliminating the national crisis called drunk driving has become the mission of organizations such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). Despite the publicity received by MADD’s efforts, as well as the efforts of government agencies at all levels, driving while under the influence of drugs and alcohol remains a prevalent problem. Driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol leads to two different, yet equally serious results. First, impaired motorists make poor operating decisions, such as passing other vehicles in a no-passing zone. Second, drivers under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol also react much slower to rapidly changing traffic conditions.

Proving another driver operated a motor vehicle while intoxicated requires the results of blood and sobriety tests.

Distractions

Distracted drivers are a menace on the road because they operate motor vehicles without focusing their sights on the road in front of them. Distractions include eating a meal, looking at attractions, and tending to a personal hygiene matter. Another type of distraction that has become much more common due to technology is texting and driving. This type of distraction completely takes the focus of a motorist from the road in front of the vehicle to an electronic device.

Proving a distraction caused a motor vehicle collision typically requires confirmation from more than one witness.

How Much Time Do I Have to File a Personal Injury Lawsuit?

After you receive initial medical care, your focus should turn to recovering the financial losses associated with medical expenses and the cost of repairing property damage. You should consider filing an insurance claim, and if negligence played a role in causing your injuries, a civil lawsuit that seeks monetary damages.

One of the most important types of legal support provided by a personal injury attorney from Morgan and Morgan concerns filing a personal injury lawsuit before the expiration of the statute of limitations. Every state has established a deadline for filing a personal injury lawsuit, with most states setting the deadline for taking legal action between two and four years. However, you might live in a state that grants plaintiffs as long as six years or as short as one year to take legal action. The clock starts to tick on a personal injury lawsuit on the day of the incident, although you might receive an extension if you can demonstrate you sustained one or more injuries that developed delayed symptoms.

Although you have more than enough time to file a civil lawsuit that seeks monetary damages, you should act with a sense of urgency for two crucial reasons. First, receiving medical care for the injuries that result from a car accident can rack up bills that run into tens of thousands of dollars. Unless you agree to a medical lien arrangement with your healthcare providers, you can expect to pay the medical bills when they come due. Second, since witness accounts are more accurate the closer they are given to the date of a car accident, your attorney needs to interview witnesses right after a motor vehicle collision.

Get Legal Support From an Experienced Attorney

When you meet with a personal injury attorney from Morgan and Morgan for a free case evaluation, you can expect to address several issues during the meeting. One of the items on the agenda should help you answer the question, “Where is the best auto accident doctor near me?” 

Get the answer to that question and your legal concerns by scheduling a free case evaluation with Morgan and Morgan. Our personal injury attorneys do not charge upfront legal fees. Instead, they operate on a contingency fee basis, which means the Fee Is Free™—you only pay if we win your case.

Can I Get Treatment if I Have a Pending Personal Injury Claim?

Yes, most healthcare providers can provide treatment and have you pay them back later. Here is how this system works.

When you get injured in a car accident and file a claim with your insurance company or the other party, it might take a while to receive your settlement. But you cannot wait that long to seek the medical attention you need after the accident.

Most medical providers can agree to treat you if you do not have enough coverage or any coverage at all. But before that, you will need to sign some form of agreement (medical lien) with the healthcare provider, allowing them to claim part of your settlement to cover the medical expenses.
 
When you hire the right attorney, they will likely have a list of healthcare providers they work with. Then, all they need to do is send them a letter of protection, also known as LOP.

What Is a Letter of Protection?

An LOP is a letter sent by a personal injury attorney to a healthcare provider guaranteeing payment for an individual's medical expenses. The payment would come from a future settlement award.

Is a Medical Lien Legally Binding? 

Yes, medical liens are legally binding. When you win the settlement, the medical lien will be attached to it. After deducting the lien, attorney fees, and other expenses, you will only receive your portion of the award.

Can I Negotiate a Medical Lien?

Yes, it is possible to negotiate a medical lien. Because medical liens are legally binding, you simply cannot refuse to pay. Doing so could land you in trouble with debt collection agencies. Negotiation is usually one of the most effective ways to get around them.

However, it is also important to note that the medical provider is not obliged to. That said, many providers would be willing to negotiate a settlement.

This settlement is usually considered a “bird in hand,” meaning it is better than none. Secondly, healthcare providers typically do not have the time and resources to pursue a medical debt. The most they can do is sell off the debt to a debt collection company for a fraction of the cost. The debt collection agency will then attempt to collect the debt from you.

Rather than go through this time-consuming and stressful process, most medical providers would rather negotiate with your attorney. 

Why Do Healthcare Providers Charge More for Treatment if You Sign a Medical Lien?

One common problem with signing a medical lien with a healthcare provider is that some charge way higher than the actual value of that particular medical procedure. Although this is illegal in most states, some healthcare providers do not comply. Some may be too greedy, hoping to get a slice of the settlement amount.

Here is how it works.

Insurance companies usually have contracts with healthcare providers regarding the costs of certain medical treatments. For example, if you need to conduct a particular test and have it paid for by your medical insurer, the original cost (such as a TB test) would be around $100.

Bear in mind that this is the cost of the test if you choose to pay out of pocket. But if the insurance has an agreement with the healthcare provider, they will probably set the price at $80. This means that if you pay through your insurance provider, you may need around $20, assuming the insurance provider will settle the remaining $60.

However, when you sign a medical lien, the situation is slightly different. Since a medical lien is an agreement between you, your attorney, and the healthcare provider, your healthcare insurance is not involved. In other words, the initial contract with the insurance provider does not come into play in such a scenario.

As a result, the healthcare provider will want to charge you the original cost of that procedure, in this case, $100 for a TB test. Bear in mind that the $100 fee is just an example and not the actual cost of this test.

Some healthcare providers do this because they want a share of your settlement award. This tactic is known as “balance billing” and is illegal in most states.

Earlier, we mentioned that most healthcare providers would be willing to negotiate their portion of the settlement. While it might seem they do not mind taking a loss and moving on with their lives, this is not always the case. For example, if the healthcare provider does 'balance billing' but then agrees to settle for a lesser amount, usually what you would have paid through your medical insurance, this is not necessarily a loss.

Can My Health Insurer Claim My Settlement?

Sadly, your own health insurer could claim part of the settlement if they paid your medical bills. This process is known as subrogation.

Subrogation has always been a debatable topic in different states. For instance, the insurance company could argue that it is unfair for you to pocket the entire settlement if the insurance company paid your medical bills.

Now let's look at it from a different perspective. When you pay your healthcare insurance premium, you expect the insurance company to settle your medical bills. After all, that's the whole point of obtaining insurance. You do not expect insurance companies to file a claim for settling what they should in the first place.

On the other hand, the insurer could claim that the injuries would not have occurred had it not been for the other party's negligence — or you, if you caused the accident. In other words, it is an insurer's way of claiming compensation for your injuries even though they are obligated to compensate you based on the terms of your insurance agreement.

The bottom line is that subrogation is a complex area of insurance law. Even worse is that each case is different; there is no standard way of navigating this issue. You need an experienced car accident attorney to fight for you, ensuring you receive the compensation you need and deserve.

Where Can I Find the Best Auto Accident Attorney Near Me?

Speaking with an attorney is the best way to protect yourself against these unexpected developments when injured in an accident. So if you are looking for the best car accident attorney to fight for you, Morgan and Morgan is the law firm you need to contact.

Why Morgan and Morgan?

Morgan and Morgan does not need any introduction regarding car accident cases. As the largest personal injury law firm in the United States, we have the experience and resources to fight for you.

Dealing with insurance companies is not usually the easiest thing to do. The saddest part is that insurance companies are all the same — whether it is your own insurer or the other party's. And, depending on the nature of the accident, they would want to recover some form of compensation from your settlement.

In addition, the medical provider might inflate their fees to get the most out of your settlement.

When you get injured in an accident, your attorney is the only person you can trust. Other than the attorney, most people or entities always seek ways to benefit from your pain and suffering. Luckily, at Morgan and Morgan, our attorneys understand your pain and are here to protect your interests.

We have dealt with countless insurance companies and healthcare providers for over 35 years. We know the tactics they use to benefit from settlements awarded to injury victims. For this reason, we will not only help you get the medical attention you need but also protect your settlement from greedy people.

Looking for the Best Auto Accident Doctor Near You? Contact a Morgan and Morgan

The steps you take after a car accident could make or break your claim. Of course, seeking medical attention is one of the most important things after an accident. But, sometimes, the healthcare provider you contact could worsen your pain.

They might come after everything you have suffered for, leaving you with nothing to take home. Remember, your medical bills are not the only thing you should be concerned about after a car accident. You likely have other bills to pay and a life to live. If you do not choose the right healthcare provider, you will likely lose a huge portion of your settlement to them.

That is why we are here to help. We are here to shield you from further pain. Precisely, we are here to protect you from exploitation by people who want to take advantage of some of our lowest moments in your life to benefit themselves. This could be your own insurance company, the other party's, or even worse, a doctor you trusted with your entire life.

Contact us today to learn more.