Quick Summary on Choosing the Best Doctor After a Motorcycle Accident:
Do Not Wait to Find a Doctor – Find one Immediately
Do Not Rely on Your Primary Care Doctor
Avoid Doctors from Legal Referral Services
Find a Specialist that Treats Your Specific Types of Injuries
Make sure the Doctor Knows how Personal Injury Cases Work
Tell All of your Doctors about any and all of your Current and Previous Injuries or Conditions
Treat Regularly with your Doctor until you reach MMI (Maximum Medical Improvement)
27 thoughts on “How to Find a Doctor After a Motorcycle Accident (The Real Story)”
Good morning Mr. Powell,
Please excuse my reluctance on calling you, but
due to extreme misrepresentation and mistrust with
my legal system, I have found a glisten of hope when
I found you via the internet.
The defendants attorney has been excessively
eager for me to settle especially when she noticed that
I no longer obtained a lawyer.
She even made unprofessional statements about that
attorney because she worked under him.
I work night shift as an LPN. I am also a decorated veteran
who once believed that I could trust my judicial system. At present,
I don’t believe that to be true.
Since the accident occurred I have been in chronic pain and
told I would never be the same again. My injuries are life altering
to say the least. I didn’t expect for ” this ever to happen to me”catastrophe.
Thank you in advance for listening.
I am shocked that you recommend that I not see my regular physician after a car accident. I understand that traumatic injuries may not be his specialty, but won’t my insurance get upset if I go straight to a specialist? Hopefully, it would just turn out like you suggest it will, I would call and my doctor would refer me to a specialist.
Thank you for your question. Quite frankly, your primary care physician may be frustrated if they can’t do anything for you except prescribe medication. They will likely send you to a specialist right away. I would not be as concerned about your insurance companies feelings as getting the right type of medical treatment as soon as possible to help you recover fully. But to be on the safe side, call your doctor, call your insurance company, and explain what is going on. Ask them to help you get to a specialist as quickly as possible. They may be able to direct you to the most appropriate doctor for your health care needs. I hope you make a full recovery from your injuries. Let me know if you have any other questions.
I completely agree. We have this issue in Georgia. Primary care Physicians in most cases won’t even see someone who has been injured in a car accident. In most auto accident cases, people go to the ER , get some scripts and then get sent home. The ER may tell them to do a follow up with their PC in three days, but usually they won’t see them unless they pay out of pocket. We dont have PIP. Well written Attorney Powell
My brother recently injured his knee in a car accident. He’s looking for a good orthopaedic surgeon that can fix the issue quickly. I didn’t realize how important it is to choose a doctor that has the expertise to diagnose the injury properly. I’ll be sure to share this info with my brother.
My fiance was recently injured in an accident and needs a car accident injury examination. I liked your advice to tell the doctor about all prior injuries so that he can better examine the patient. This will make the process a lot easier and not as difficult.
why should we stay clear of Legal Referrals?? and what is a legal referral to you?
my understanding is a Network of Doctors who see clients for injuries. or accept working on a lien for your injury?
My husband was in a vehicle accident in Arkansas. However, we are from southern Indiana. (One hour from Indianapolis or Cincinnati, Ohio line) He suffered whiplash and was treated at the hospital directly from the scene. Within 48 hrs he began to have terrible hip pain. We have had X-ray, MRI performed and paid out of pocket for an orthopedic consult to get some type of answers on diagnosis. The problem is the orthopedic specialist will not take our insurance due to it being from an accident. It is always the first question on the registration forms “did this injury occur from a car accident “…..then it’s cash only!!! We can not find a reputable orthopedic surgeon because he will need a total hip replacement. The driver of the other vehicle was under the influence and did have insurance coverage. All good things in our favor, yet we can’t find a surgeon ….or one we feel is reputable. Please help!!
Thanks for the advice about calling a GP about your accident injuries to see if they will treat them. I was in a car accident, and I’m worried that if I see a specialist for my knee problem that the insurance won’t pay for it. I’ll try to see if my GP will treat it, but if he won’t, I’ll probably need to get a personal injury attorney to help my claim go through with the insurance.
Matt, you are right on with your assessment. Most automobile accident patients I read the medical records of were not given an accurate diagnosis, not had the correct tests ordered, and not given the proper treatment or documentation.
I would imagine that you would need a doctor for all the paperwork that would need to be submitted to the insurance companies. The doctors would be able to give the proper records and tests needed to defend your case. I’ll have to consider your tips for a doctor if I ever get seriously injured.
In various parts of the country it may be harder than others to find a good doctor for a personal injury case. I suggest you speak to an experienced personal injury attorney in your area for advice on selecting a good doctor who knows how to keep good records and is willing to help you in court if that is required. Good Luck. Matt
The other driver pulled out in front of me and I hit her, deploying 6 airbags, June 2018. I was horribly bruised and sore for my ribs and throat (seat belt) just over 30 years ago, I was rear ended and had whiplash from an accident. Neck was extremely stiff off and on throughout the years. After this accident, I was seen by my chiropractor and treated for pain based on bone issues. A month or so later, I had pinched nerves around the 3rd-5th vertebrae issue debilitating pain. Nerve pain, as I found out – does not respond to medication. So, I just cried through it. Once it was over, it never returned to the same intensity and in the meantime, my GP seemed to not want to be involved. I lost my job (out of the blue) in November 2018. I had no insurance and was struggling to keep up with my bills. I was out of work for 4 months and settled for a ridiculous $2500 approximately, because I really needed the help financially. I started a new job in April 2018. 90 days of probation, so just needed to stay healthy. Almost 10 days ago, my neck pain began with the nerves again. I am wearing a neck collar and takin g alleve and motrin to try to tolerate the pain. There is NO relief and no help. I did not press this issue because it had seemed to go away so, I figured there would be no way to claim something that was not happening currently. I had xrays done either in December or early 2018 that showed vertebrae 3-5 with issues that also had some arthritis. So, I also figured nothing could be claimed if there was arthritis there. Now, I have more pain than imaginable and it isn’t going away. I probably need to go under and MRI for a cortisone shot into that vertebrae space. This is for life, which I never realized until now. I am assuming I have no recourse because I already settled for “next to nothing”….?
Hi Connie, unfortunately, when you sign a full release, there is hardly anything that can be done to open up your case. Sorry to hear about your bad injuries. Please get Uninsured Motorist on your policy, because next time you have a crash, there is a good chance you will have very bad injuries because you are easier to hurt than most other people. And a lot of driver’s out there don’t carry the proper insurance to compensate you adequately. I hope you feel better. Matt
sorry. my first accident 30 + years ago was the rear ending whiplash. I saw a chiropractor for a very long time. The recent 2018 accident was the bruising of my neck and ribs. More pain there to dominate attention. I did not seek immediate attention. I guess I felt if I got out of the car and was able to walk around it would be silly and expensive to go to the hospital when seemingly nothing serious was wrong.
Most people after a crash think they are fine and not hurt. But as time goes by, the problems begin to show up. I suggest you follow up with the doctors who helped you before the 2018 accident to ask them what changes they might find.
My Brother was suffered from wiplash injury, and after doing treatment with tablets and some other therapy he did not recover. As with the passage of time his condition became worse. So can you tell me the best chiropractors or doctors in jacksonville so
There are a lot of good doctors in the Jacksonville area. Please call my office and we will give you the names of a few doctors who may be able to help your brother.
Thanks for helping me understand that the injuries will not show immediately after the incident because of the adrenaline rush. I also appreciate that you mentioned that it would be best to seek a doctor immediately so that you will not only get your injuries treated, but you will not also have a gap in your medical record. I will share this information with a friend of mine who called me a while ago because he got into an accident after he dropped me off. It appears that there was a drunk driver on the road which crashed into his car. This tip will convince him to search for a doctor immediately.
Mr Powell, Thanks for the advice. My friend recently injured in a car accident. we are looking for a dr suggestion. Thanks for sharing such a great information.
Talk to attorneys in your area, they will know which doctors are specialists and know how to fully document the injuries in your medical records. Good luck. Matt
I had a slip and fall accident two years ago and fractured my spinal cord. I was taken to the hospital by an ambulance and a surgeon was called to perform the Balloon kyphoplasty surgery on one of my lumbar bones. I did physical therapy for a few months with that same doctor, and after a while the pain got better and I was able to walk without support. I went to see a lawyer right after my surgery, and a case was opened.However, Here is my other problem. I am a metastatic cancer patient too, and I have spinal cord and rib metastasis. However, that specific lumbar bone was intact before I fell (which has been documented with previous MRI’s) However, the surgeon’s report does not focus on that specific lumbar alone. He kept writing notes about the other issues in my body, and even though I told him to stop and to only write about the farctured lumbar, he continued to make notes about my whole entire spine. This is not good for my case, as the opposite firm is already saying that I fell due to having fragile bones. Which is not the case. I fell because the floor was slippery. So, I stopped going to this doctor because of that. And just continued with my oncologist and rely on his tests and comments. But those tests gives information about my spinal cord and ribs in general including the lumbar part, but would that be sufficient to convice a judge? Won’t they need specific reports about the actual fractured lumbar bone? Recently I went to see a new spinal doctor, But “Again” I was confronted with the same problem. I really need to find me a good Spine doctor.
My question is: Is it OK tell the new doctor to focus and write only about my lumbar fracture? Can I tell him that his notes are going to serve “A slip and fall case”? I am going to court soon, and I still don’t have a report that describes the injuries to that specific bone and how it has progressed. Except for the general information from the MRI’s performed with my oncologist which has mentioned that the cement is loosing height in the last 2 reports. Is that good enough?
My lawyer is a very busy lawyer and we hardly speak. He tells me not to worry that when the time comes, an expert will perform tests in that particular lumbar bone. But should I wait for that? Shouldn’t I have reports from other doctors documenting this case befmore this expert performs the test? I am confused, and I don’t know what to do. Thanks for your time.
Hi Maky, Thanks for your question. First, talk to your lawyer about what you should do and not do. I think the fact you have a pre-existing condition makes your case more valuable, at least it would in Florida.
As far as directing your doctors how to document your medical records, I don’t think that is a good idea. Because the doctors can sabotage your records by saying the patient wants me to write stuff for his lawyer, etc.
I think you have a good case and should talk to your lawyer about these issues and not your doctors. Good luck to you.
If you need a doctor for an injury where you will recover their bill from the at fault person, then you should be able to find many good doctors in your area. I suggest you talk to your attorney and ask them who they suggest.
Good morning Mr. Powell,
Please excuse my reluctance on calling you, but
due to extreme misrepresentation and mistrust with
my legal system, I have found a glisten of hope when
I found you via the internet.
The defendants attorney has been excessively
eager for me to settle especially when she noticed that
I no longer obtained a lawyer.
She even made unprofessional statements about that
attorney because she worked under him.
I work night shift as an LPN. I am also a decorated veteran
who once believed that I could trust my judicial system. At present,
I don’t believe that to be true.
Since the accident occurred I have been in chronic pain and
told I would never be the same again. My injuries are life altering
to say the least. I didn’t expect for ” this ever to happen to me”catastrophe.
Thank you in advance for listening.
I am shocked that you recommend that I not see my regular physician after a car accident. I understand that traumatic injuries may not be his specialty, but won’t my insurance get upset if I go straight to a specialist? Hopefully, it would just turn out like you suggest it will, I would call and my doctor would refer me to a specialist.
James,
Thank you for your question. Quite frankly, your primary care physician may be frustrated if they can’t do anything for you except prescribe medication. They will likely send you to a specialist right away. I would not be as concerned about your insurance companies feelings as getting the right type of medical treatment as soon as possible to help you recover fully. But to be on the safe side, call your doctor, call your insurance company, and explain what is going on. Ask them to help you get to a specialist as quickly as possible. They may be able to direct you to the most appropriate doctor for your health care needs. I hope you make a full recovery from your injuries. Let me know if you have any other questions.
I completely agree. We have this issue in Georgia. Primary care Physicians in most cases won’t even see someone who has been injured in a car accident. In most auto accident cases, people go to the ER , get some scripts and then get sent home. The ER may tell them to do a follow up with their PC in three days, but usually they won’t see them unless they pay out of pocket. We dont have PIP. Well written Attorney Powell
My brother recently injured his knee in a car accident. He’s looking for a good orthopaedic surgeon that can fix the issue quickly. I didn’t realize how important it is to choose a doctor that has the expertise to diagnose the injury properly. I’ll be sure to share this info with my brother.
My fiance was recently injured in an accident and needs a car accident injury examination. I liked your advice to tell the doctor about all prior injuries so that he can better examine the patient. This will make the process a lot easier and not as difficult.
why should we stay clear of Legal Referrals?? and what is a legal referral to you?
my understanding is a Network of Doctors who see clients for injuries. or accept working on a lien for your injury?
thanks
Nick P.
My husband was in a vehicle accident in Arkansas. However, we are from southern Indiana. (One hour from Indianapolis or Cincinnati, Ohio line) He suffered whiplash and was treated at the hospital directly from the scene. Within 48 hrs he began to have terrible hip pain. We have had X-ray, MRI performed and paid out of pocket for an orthopedic consult to get some type of answers on diagnosis. The problem is the orthopedic specialist will not take our insurance due to it being from an accident. It is always the first question on the registration forms “did this injury occur from a car accident “…..then it’s cash only!!! We can not find a reputable orthopedic surgeon because he will need a total hip replacement. The driver of the other vehicle was under the influence and did have insurance coverage. All good things in our favor, yet we can’t find a surgeon ….or one we feel is reputable. Please help!!
Hire an attorney. They can direct you to a doctor who should be able to help your husband.
Thanks for the advice about calling a GP about your accident injuries to see if they will treat them. I was in a car accident, and I’m worried that if I see a specialist for my knee problem that the insurance won’t pay for it. I’ll try to see if my GP will treat it, but if he won’t, I’ll probably need to get a personal injury attorney to help my claim go through with the insurance.
Matt, you are right on with your assessment. Most automobile accident patients I read the medical records of were not given an accurate diagnosis, not had the correct tests ordered, and not given the proper treatment or documentation.
Dr. Steve Lininger, in Virginia.
I would imagine that you would need a doctor for all the paperwork that would need to be submitted to the insurance companies. The doctors would be able to give the proper records and tests needed to defend your case. I’ll have to consider your tips for a doctor if I ever get seriously injured.
So, how should someone find an MD who specializes in personal injury?
In various parts of the country it may be harder than others to find a good doctor for a personal injury case. I suggest you speak to an experienced personal injury attorney in your area for advice on selecting a good doctor who knows how to keep good records and is willing to help you in court if that is required. Good Luck. Matt
The other driver pulled out in front of me and I hit her, deploying 6 airbags, June 2018. I was horribly bruised and sore for my ribs and throat (seat belt) just over 30 years ago, I was rear ended and had whiplash from an accident. Neck was extremely stiff off and on throughout the years. After this accident, I was seen by my chiropractor and treated for pain based on bone issues. A month or so later, I had pinched nerves around the 3rd-5th vertebrae issue debilitating pain. Nerve pain, as I found out – does not respond to medication. So, I just cried through it. Once it was over, it never returned to the same intensity and in the meantime, my GP seemed to not want to be involved. I lost my job (out of the blue) in November 2018. I had no insurance and was struggling to keep up with my bills. I was out of work for 4 months and settled for a ridiculous $2500 approximately, because I really needed the help financially. I started a new job in April 2018. 90 days of probation, so just needed to stay healthy. Almost 10 days ago, my neck pain began with the nerves again. I am wearing a neck collar and takin g alleve and motrin to try to tolerate the pain. There is NO relief and no help. I did not press this issue because it had seemed to go away so, I figured there would be no way to claim something that was not happening currently. I had xrays done either in December or early 2018 that showed vertebrae 3-5 with issues that also had some arthritis. So, I also figured nothing could be claimed if there was arthritis there. Now, I have more pain than imaginable and it isn’t going away. I probably need to go under and MRI for a cortisone shot into that vertebrae space. This is for life, which I never realized until now. I am assuming I have no recourse because I already settled for “next to nothing”….?
Hi Connie, unfortunately, when you sign a full release, there is hardly anything that can be done to open up your case. Sorry to hear about your bad injuries. Please get Uninsured Motorist on your policy, because next time you have a crash, there is a good chance you will have very bad injuries because you are easier to hurt than most other people. And a lot of driver’s out there don’t carry the proper insurance to compensate you adequately. I hope you feel better. Matt
sorry. my first accident 30 + years ago was the rear ending whiplash. I saw a chiropractor for a very long time. The recent 2018 accident was the bruising of my neck and ribs. More pain there to dominate attention. I did not seek immediate attention. I guess I felt if I got out of the car and was able to walk around it would be silly and expensive to go to the hospital when seemingly nothing serious was wrong.
Most people after a crash think they are fine and not hurt. But as time goes by, the problems begin to show up. I suggest you follow up with the doctors who helped you before the 2018 accident to ask them what changes they might find.
My Brother was suffered from wiplash injury, and after doing treatment with tablets and some other therapy he did not recover. As with the passage of time his condition became worse. So can you tell me the best chiropractors or doctors in jacksonville so
There are a lot of good doctors in the Jacksonville area. Please call my office and we will give you the names of a few doctors who may be able to help your brother.
Thanks for helping me understand that the injuries will not show immediately after the incident because of the adrenaline rush. I also appreciate that you mentioned that it would be best to seek a doctor immediately so that you will not only get your injuries treated, but you will not also have a gap in your medical record. I will share this information with a friend of mine who called me a while ago because he got into an accident after he dropped me off. It appears that there was a drunk driver on the road which crashed into his car. This tip will convince him to search for a doctor immediately.
Mr Powell, Thanks for the advice. My friend recently injured in a car accident. we are looking for a dr suggestion. Thanks for sharing such a great information.
Talk to attorneys in your area, they will know which doctors are specialists and know how to fully document the injuries in your medical records. Good luck. Matt
I had a slip and fall accident two years ago and fractured my spinal cord. I was taken to the hospital by an ambulance and a surgeon was called to perform the Balloon kyphoplasty surgery on one of my lumbar bones. I did physical therapy for a few months with that same doctor, and after a while the pain got better and I was able to walk without support. I went to see a lawyer right after my surgery, and a case was opened.However, Here is my other problem. I am a metastatic cancer patient too, and I have spinal cord and rib metastasis. However, that specific lumbar bone was intact before I fell (which has been documented with previous MRI’s) However, the surgeon’s report does not focus on that specific lumbar alone. He kept writing notes about the other issues in my body, and even though I told him to stop and to only write about the farctured lumbar, he continued to make notes about my whole entire spine. This is not good for my case, as the opposite firm is already saying that I fell due to having fragile bones. Which is not the case. I fell because the floor was slippery. So, I stopped going to this doctor because of that. And just continued with my oncologist and rely on his tests and comments. But those tests gives information about my spinal cord and ribs in general including the lumbar part, but would that be sufficient to convice a judge? Won’t they need specific reports about the actual fractured lumbar bone? Recently I went to see a new spinal doctor, But “Again” I was confronted with the same problem. I really need to find me a good Spine doctor.
My question is: Is it OK tell the new doctor to focus and write only about my lumbar fracture? Can I tell him that his notes are going to serve “A slip and fall case”? I am going to court soon, and I still don’t have a report that describes the injuries to that specific bone and how it has progressed. Except for the general information from the MRI’s performed with my oncologist which has mentioned that the cement is loosing height in the last 2 reports. Is that good enough?
My lawyer is a very busy lawyer and we hardly speak. He tells me not to worry that when the time comes, an expert will perform tests in that particular lumbar bone. But should I wait for that? Shouldn’t I have reports from other doctors documenting this case befmore this expert performs the test? I am confused, and I don’t know what to do. Thanks for your time.
Hi Maky, Thanks for your question. First, talk to your lawyer about what you should do and not do. I think the fact you have a pre-existing condition makes your case more valuable, at least it would in Florida.
As far as directing your doctors how to document your medical records, I don’t think that is a good idea. Because the doctors can sabotage your records by saying the patient wants me to write stuff for his lawyer, etc.
I think you have a good case and should talk to your lawyer about these issues and not your doctors. Good luck to you.
I’m in Dunedin,I need a Ortho who will take me with out ins. nor a lot of cash
If you need a doctor for an injury where you will recover their bill from the at fault person, then you should be able to find many good doctors in your area. I suggest you talk to your attorney and ask them who they suggest.