After a driver or passenger in an auto is injured by the negligence of a semi truck driver, it is important to document the accident victim’s pain and suffering to ensure full compensation. This means the accident victim has to see the right medical specialists and have the right tests done. Your attorney should make sure this happens and have an overall plan for obtaining and presenting evidence of pain and suffering.
If you hire me to represent you and/or a family member (spouse, child, parent), one of the first steps I will take in evaluating how much your case is worth is to obtain at all relevant medical records, including the following:
- Certified copies from hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, nursing homes;
- Complete records from the primary care doctor and any medical specialists, including surgeons, neurologists and neuropsychologists; and
- Complete records from other health care professionals, including physical and occupational therapists.
The next step is to make sure this documentation is complete, analyze it and come up with a strategy for medical care that will ensure that all injuries are found and treated, and that the right things are done (including medical testing) to adequately document pain and suffering. For example, MRI scans need to be done after an accident if there is any possibility of even mild brain damage and an evaluation by a neuropsychologist can confirm residual effects from the brain injury.
Another aspect of documentation is organization. There are many ways to organize medical records and the correlating expert medical testimony. Evidence needs to be presented in the way that is most persuasive.
I am available for a free consultation regarding your 18-wheeler accident and the resulting injuries. My experience includes winning settlements and verdicts against semi truck drivers and trucking companies. Read how a semi truck accident case is different from other traffic accident cases.
Attorney Eric Hageman represents tractor-trailer accident victims throughout the United States. To contact him or another semi truck accident lawyer at our law firm, submit our free consultation form or call 888-377-8900 (toll free).