What Types of Doctors Should I Treat with after an Auto Accident with Injuries in the Tampa Bay, Florida Area?

After an auto accident with injuries in the Tampa Bay area, you should always go to a hospital emergency room first. The staff at a hospital emergency room is specifically trained to diagnose and treat traumatic injuries like those sustained in an auto accident, which gives you the best chance at a full recovery.

Another reason it is important to go to an emergency room is the fact that you will need immediate documentation of your injuries to file a successful claim with the insurance companies. By visiting an emergency room right away, you and your Tampa auto accident lawyer will be better prepared to prove to the insurance companies that your symptoms were caused by your auto accident injury, and not by a preexisting condition or other injury you sustained before or after your accident.

As a resident of Tampa or anywhere else in the state of Florida, you are required to carry Personal Injury Protection, or PIP, insurance. This coverage will pay $10,000 toward your medical bills and lost wages, regardless of who is at fault in the auto accident. This coverage also allows you to see any doctor you want for your auto accident injuries, from your family physician to a chiropractor to a massage therapist.

Once your PIP coverage is exhausted, your freedom to see any doctor you choose depends on which type of insurance is paying for your medical care. If your medical care is being paid for by your auto insurance or the at-fault driver's auto insurance, in most cases you will be allowed to go to any medical care provider that is willing to accept a Letter of Protection or “LOP” from your accident attorney. An LOP acts as a line of credit between you, the medical provider, and your attorney. The LOP promises that the medical provider will be paid if there is a settlement with the insurance companies or a judgment from a jury. If your medical care is being paid for by your health insurance policy, worker's compensation, or government benefits, you may be forced to use certain doctors.

If you have questions about seeing a doctor for injuries you sustained in a Tampa Bay area car accident, please contact Tampa auto accident lawyer Dale Appell, P.A. We believe all auto accident injury victims have the right to top notch medical care, whether your accident occurred here in Tampa or Bradenton, Dunedin, Pinellas Park, Clearwater, Temple Terrace, St Petersburg, Tampa, Tarpon Springs, Odessa, Hudson, or Dade City.