If you were injured in a car accident, your health care providers may engage in numerous different strategies to assist with the recovery process and ease your pain. However, besides undergoing surgery and taking pain medication, your doctor may recommend physical therapy to get you back to health. This continuing treatment involves regular appointments with a practitioner to safely return your body to its pre-accident physical state, so it is important from a well-being standpoint.
In addition, sticking with your doctor’s orders for physical therapy is also important for your legal rights. You may not think about it as an important factor, but skipping an appointment could affect your compensation. Trust a Miami personal injury attorney to handle the legal side of your claim, but some general information may be helpful.
Physical Therapy Can Speed Recovery
Medical News Today, an online publisher of information on medical science and developments in health care, touts some of the benefits of physical therapy after an accident. PT can:
- Reduce the need for pain management through medications, especially risky, addictive opioids;
- Improve flexibility, movement, and mobility, which can help with fall prevention;
- Help you regain strength in the affected area, decreasing the possibility for reinjury;
- Boost endorphins and “feel good” hormones, thereby supporting your mental health and diminishing the effects of depression and anxiety;
- Help avoid surgery, which carries an entirely separate set of risks and infection; and,
- Reduce the effects of injuries for victims suffering from age-related medical conditions.
Plus, physical therapy sessions provide you with the opportunity to engage in cardio activity and exercise – at safe levels. You may find that you can sleep better and may not suffer from sluggishness during the day.
How Physical Therapy Supports Your Legal Rights
When you are seeking compensation from the responsible driver’s insurer after an accident, the company will try to find any reason to reject or reduce the value of your claim. One of the primary areas of contention is the nature and severity of your injuries, so the main form of proof will be your medical records. Therefore, if you sought treatment immediately after the crash, your doctor’s notes will be critical.
However, you have even more support regarding your claim for pain and suffering when you attend regular PT appointments. These visits generate additional medical records, in which your practitioner will include notes on:
- Your physical limitations;
- Your improvement and progress of recovery;
- Whether your injuries will never fully heal;
- Any pain medications or prescriptions; and,
- Many other details.
Our Miami Car Accidents Lawyers can Assist with Your Legal Remedies
You can count on your health care provider to expedite your recovery through physical therapy, but you can rely on our team at Gerson & Schwartz, PA to maximize the benefits in your claim for compensation. To learn more about how we can assist in getting the monetary damages you deserve as the victim of an auto crash, please contact our offices in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, or West Palm Beach, FL. We can schedule a no-cost consultation to evaluate your situation.