Can Missing a Medical Appointment Hurt Your Personal Injury Case?
If you have been injured in a car crash, slip and fall, or other type of accident, seeking medical attention immediately afterward is of critical importance. While your health and well-being are the priority and you must take the necessary steps to protect them, seeing a doctor will also document your injuries.
Just as important as seeing a doctor immediately after an accident, it is also essential that you attend any subsequent medical appointment. You will likely have multiple follow-ups for additional treatments, check-ups to update your status, and more. Missing these medical appointments can significantly hurt your case and result in reduced compensation. Our Tampa personal injury attorney explains more below.
How Do Missed Appointments Hurt Your Case?
When you are hurt, receiving the regular treatment you need does not only aid in your recovery, but it also ensures your legal rights are protected. If the insurance company sees gaps in your care, they may use it to deny or reduce your claim. They may argue that you are not hurt as seriously as you said, or that your injuries were not caused by the accident.
Your medical records provide strong evidence and connect your injuries to the accident. Every medical appointment will document what your limitations are, how you are currently feeling, and if your condition is improving. If you miss these opportunities to document your recovery, it will provide you with less evidence and give the insurer more reason to dispute your claim.
Nearly Half of Denials are based on Missed Appointments
Insurance companies in Florida scrutinize inconsistencies in treatment patterns. According to recent data, 40 percent of insurance claim denials cite missed medical appointments as the reason. This is not a coincidence but rather, an intentional strategy by insurers to minimize payouts.
When reviewing your claim, insurance adjusters place significant weight on whether you have been attending follow-up medical appointments. They will argue that if you were really injured, you would not miss appointments that could help with your recovery. This presumption, of course, does not consider the real challenges people sometimes face, it is still a very common reason for denial.
Missed Appointments Interfere with Your Recovery
Other than the legal issues that can arise if you miss medical appointments, it can also interfere with your physical recovery. According to statistics, 42 percent of missed medical appointments result in delayed diagnoses, which can cause a fairly manageable health condition to become a chronic issue. Missing an appointment is particularly detrimental for patients suffering from a head injury. Delaying treatment for a concussion can result in long-term cognitive issues that affect individuals for the rest of their lives.
Our Personal Injury Attorney in Tampa Can Provide the Legal Advice You Need
Many accident victims are surprised that so many aspects of their personal injury claim, such as medical care, are also legal issues. At Moore Law, our Tampa personal injury attorney can provide legal advice regarding all aspects of your case so you obtain the best outcome possible. Call us today at 813-510-5400 or contact us online to request a consultation and to get the legal help you need.
Source:
commonwealthfund.org/blog/2025/how-private-insurance-claim-denials-erode-trust-and-increase-patients-financial-burdens
