Seeking Medical Expert Witness to Account for Long-Term Injury Implications in Car Accident Claim

Seeking Medical Expert Witness to Account for Long-Term Injury Implications in Car Accident Claim

If you’ve been seriously injured in a car accident, it’s important not to agree to any settlement without first speaking to an attorney as well as medical expert witnesses regarding your injury. This is primarily because you’ll want to accurately account for all possible future losses in your personal injury claim.

If you fail to include experts’ prognoses or the long-term implications of your injury, you could lose your chance at compensation for those expenses.

The Long-Term Repercussions of Serious Injuries

Depending on the type of injury, there can be numerous long-term effects. Not only could there be health complications, but a serious injury could impact a victim’s earning capacity and mental and emotional well-being for a very long period of time.

Severe and catastrophic accidents tend to have a ripple effect on victims’ lives. First, they amass huge medical bills. On top of that, they are unable to work, either for extended periods of time or indefinitely, which completely changes the scope of their lives. Next, victims must deal with physical pain and suffering (sometimes chronic), as well subsequent mental and emotional turmoil.

Car accident victims may also suffer from:

 

• post-traumatic stress disorder;

 

• depression; and
• anxiety.

These can carry over into their personal lives, affecting their relationships, their marriages, and their overall well-being.

Any of these factors that apply to you or your loved one can and should be taken into consideration and accounted for on the car accident claim. Medical expert testimony can attest to these effects.

Finding the Right Expert for a Testimony

It’s impossible to accurately assess the total long-term implications of a serious accident without the counsel of experts.

Some of the experts whose help you may enlist include:

• medical experts;
• mental health specialists;
• economists; and
• accident reconstructionists.

Medical experts may even address any issues pertaining to previous injuries and pre-existing conditions. This is important, as some insurance companies or defendants may argue that the accident did not cause the claimant’s injuries or medical conditions.

The first objective before filing a car accident claim is to find a local attorney with whom you have rapport and feel can meet your needs. Your attorney will likely have or create a list of experts who can testify in serious personal injury cases, and will help you decide which experts are suitable for your particular case.

Considering the Financial Impact of Future Losses

A serious car accident not only affects a victim’s physical and emotional condition, but financial status as well. An attorney – and in many cases with consult and testimony from medical expert witnesses and other experts – can help you carefully account for all current and future damages related to the accident.

When calculating damages, you and your attorney will take all possible losses into account, such as:

 

• emergency care;
• hospital bills;
• physician bills;
• medical specialist appointments;
• current and future surgeries and medications;

 

• medical aides and equipment;
• lost wages (for the entire period you are unable to work);
• advanced treatment options that may become available in the future; and
• emotional damages (such as loss of enjoyment of life, mental anguish, and pain and suffering).

Contact a Legal Expert Today

Attorney D.J. Banovitz knows Colorado personal injury law inside and out. He can connect injured accident victims and their families with resources and experts. Contact us at 303-300-5060 to schedule a consultation and get started today.