The role of medical evidence is to offer a complete and objective depiction of the full extent of your injuries.
More often than not, the most compelling piece of evidence in a car accident case that can help you win a claim is medical evidence. It’s the reason you ask for a particular settlement to cover your medical expenses caused by the car accident (unless you only ask for property damage.)
So, by that rationale, if you don’t have any medical evidence of your injuries to back up what you are claiming, it may prove extremely difficult to win a case.
What’s the Point of Medical Evidence?
Your body will be affected after a car accident, and the role of medical evidence is to offer a complete and objective depiction of the full extent of your injuries.
Medical evidence is seen as reliable because it is created by experts (doctors, in this case) that have no personal stake in the case. They review your condition, asses what sort of treatment is needed, and create a treatment plan. When you present the complete medical evidence, it’s almost like showing the other driver and their insurance company exactly what the car collision did to your body.
What Happens When There’s No Medical Evidence?
It can be very difficult to convince the insurance company to settle when there is no medical evidence that shows the exact extent of your injuries. Even delaying to seek medical attention can hurt you – the insurance company can argue you waited too long, your condition got worse because of your own negligence, so they should not cover the full cost of your treatment as a result.
A good St. Louis car accident lawyer may still be able to negotiate a favorable settlement. Other types of evidence (such as video of the accident, police reports, or the reports from your auto insurance) may be used as leverage in these cases. Still, even with all this evidence to back up your claim, without the medical proof of your injuries, you may be in for a long battle to settle on a final amount with the insurance company.
So while it is not impossible to win these cases without medical evidence, it is far more complicated. If you do not have any medical evidence, or have very little, you should reach out to a St. Louis car accident lawyer right now if you want to file a claim.
What Should You Do?
Ideally, you should seek medical treatment right after the car accident, even if you feel fine or the accident was minor. Then, start gathering all the medical documents you get post-accident, and build a file to handle to your lawyer.
If you do not have any medical evidence to speak of, you still may have a chance of winning this claim. Reach out to a St. Louis car accident lawyer to see what your legal options are and how to proceed with your case.