A common challenge that I face when representing injured clients occurs when the client fails to make her doctors’ appointments. Any medical provider, doctor or therapist worth her salt will schedule several appointments or follow-up sessions or examinations and so forth until the client has reached maximum medical improvement.
The medical provider has sound reasons for such visits. If the client fails to follow doctors’ orders or miss appointments without first calling, it will be reflected in the records. Insurance companies live for these moments and will latch onto that fact and reduce the value of the case accordingly — reasoning that if the client was seriously hurt then she would have been serious about keeping her medical appointments. It’Is OK to miss one or two appointments, but make sure you call first and make sure the provider records it in your chart. This will save you and your attorney a lot of headaches down the line.