Does Physical Therapy Impact Personal Injury Settlements?

If you’ve been injured due to someone else’s negligence, a doctor may recommend undergoing physical therapy as part of your recovery process. You may be wondering, “Does physical therapy impact personal injury settlements?” If a doctor recommends it, a personal injury lawyer would argue that it does. Staying committed to your physical therapy can help demonstrate your accident-related injuries and determine the worth of your case. 

At John Foy & Associates, our Atlanta personal injury lawyers work closely with our clients’ physical therapists and other medical providers to gather proof of the severity of their injuries and ongoing therapy needs. We make sure insurance companies cannot minimize the settlement value by claiming you failed to properly mitigate damages.

How Physical Therapy Affects Personal Injury Settlements in Atlanta

When pursuing compensation for a negligence-based accident, our personal injury lawyers in Atlanta will have to prove that you suffered injuries due to a liable party’s actions. The only way to accurately assess your injuries is to have a doctor diagnose them. Then, you will have to begin undergoing any required medical treatment to protect your health and your developing legal case.

Our attorneys can use your medical records, bills, and receipts to fight for fair compensation. We can also consult your doctors and physical therapists to determine the long-term effects of your accident-related injuries. This will enable us to seek future medical expenses. 

Take a look at the following advantages of beginning and following through with required physical therapy.

Physical Therapy Demonstrates You’re Mitigating Damages

Under Georgia law, personal injury victims have a duty to try to “mitigate damages” by getting appropriate medical treatment to recover as fully as possible after an accident. 

Our Atlanta personal injury lawyer will advise that if you fail to follow reasonable treatment recommendations like completing a course of physical therapy, the insurance company can argue you failed to mitigate damages and potentially reduce your settlement.

Physical Therapy Records Prove the Extent of Your Injuries

Thorough physical therapy records create documented evidence of your injury diagnosis, treatment plan, functional limitations, and how your condition improves over time with therapeutic exercise. This helps establish the full scope of your injuries, and future care needs when calculating projected medical expenses and lost earning capacity.

Physical Therapy Aids Maximum Medical Improvement

For injuries resulting in permanent disabilities or impairments, physical therapy plays a vital role in getting you as physically restored as possible, which is critical for determining your status of maximum medical improvement (MMI). Reaching MMI sets a benchmark for measuring future losses like medical costs, lost wages, and pain and suffering to maximize your settlement.

Skipping Physical Therapy Can Signal You’ve Recovered

The insurance company may argue that by failing to complete physical therapy, you must have recovered enough to return to regular activities without further treatment. This bad-faith claim tactic aims to minimize your settlement.

Our Atlanta injury lawyer can present evidence to counter any implication that your injuries are not as severe as they really are. Try not to miss any physical therapy appointments, as this can work against you in your case.

Begin Working on Your Personal Injury Case Even if You Have Not Finished Physical Therapy

Under Georgia’s statute of limitations (O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33), you generally have two years from the date of your injury to file a personal injury lawsuit. While this may seem like plenty of time, begin working with an Atlanta personal injury lawyer as soon as possible after your accident, even if you have not completed your full course of physical therapy and medical treatment. By failing to initiate your case within two years under the statute of limitations, you could potentially lose out on your only opportunity to pursue compensation through a personal injury claim or lawsuit. 

Evidence from the accident scene needs to be gathered immediately before it disappears. Witnesses need to be interviewed promptly while memories are fresh. Experts like accident reconstructionists may need to be hired to analyze how the incident occurred. All of this investigative work is essential for building a strong case to prove negligence and liability.

For serious injuries requiring extensive physical therapy and rehabilitation, your medical treatment and care needs will likely extend well beyond two years. We can ensure your case gets filed before the statute of limitations expires while continuing to thoroughly evaluate your ongoing therapy, future disability needs, and lifetime cost projections for maximum compensation.

Our Law Firm Can Explain More About How Physical Therapy Impacts Your Personal Injury Settlement

If you were hurt in the Atlanta area due to someone else’s negligence, taking your physical therapy as prescribed is one of the most important steps for recovering maximum compensation. But does following through with PT impact how much compensation you could receive in a settlement? Yes, it can.

The last thing you want is for an insurer to undervalue or deny your claim. If you forgo or delay doctor-recommended physical therapy sessions, an insurance adjuster may do just that. Protect your health and your case for compensation by following your doctor’s orders. 

Contact us today. The Atlanta personal injury attorneys at John Foy & Associates will guide you through the entire process toward getting every dollar you deserve.