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Summary
Yes, an MRI can increase the value of your personal injury settlement.
Table of Contents
What Is an MRI
An MRI, also known as Magnetic Resonance Imaging, is a non-invasive medical imaging tool that utilizes magnets and radio wave energy to create detailed images of a body's internal structure.
With the use of radio waves, an MRI can provide a deep look into the body's tissue, organs, nerves, ligaments, and blood vessels, while other medical scans, such as an X-ray or CT scan, can generally only produce images of bones.
In addition, MRIs do not use radiation like X-rays or CT scans, making them considerably safer.
Can an MRI Increase Your Settlement Offer?
Yes, an MRI can increase a personal injury settlement offer.
Unlike X-rays or CT scans, an MRI reveals detailed images of soft tissues, ligaments, discs, and nerves, which can help uncover hidden injuries such as:
- Herniated disc
- Soft tissue damage
- Brain injury
However, to learn if MRI findings can potentially impact your settlement offers, it's recommended that you consult with an experienced personal injury attorney, as they can provide key guidance in obtaining a higher settlement offer.
How Does an MIR Increase Settlement Amounts in Personal Injury Cases
Knowing how MRI findings can increase a potential settlement offer following an accident is crucial to making an informed decision on whether or not you may need one.
An MRI can help get a higher settlement offer by:
- Proving the Full Extent of Physical Injuries: Severe injuries such as a herniated disc, tissue tear, and nerve damage may not be immediately apparent after an accident and do not appear on X-rays. However, an MRI can help spot these specific injuries, making it harder for insurance adjusters to deny your claim.
- Strengthen Pain and Suffering: Pain and suffering can be challenging to prove in personal injury cases, as it depends on the true extent of a person's injuries. However, MRI findings can assist in justifying long-term physical pain and limitations.
- Counter Insurance Company Tricks: The insurance company may attempt to downplay injuries or argue that they were pre-existing. However, timely MRI findings can counter these claims by providing evidence that the accident caused the injuries.
Medical evidence plays a big part in a personal injury claim, so it's recommended to contact Las Vegas Personal Injury Attorney Rodney Okano at (702) 566-3600 to understand how much of this evidence you may need to maximize your compensation.
Should I Get an MRI After a Car Accident
After a car accident, if you experience constant pain, stiffness, difficulty moving, dizziness, numbness, or other symptoms pointing to potentially serious injuries, it's highly recommended that you get an MRI after the accident.
With an MRI, you can detect internal injuries such as spinal cord, brain, or soft tissue injuries and prevent their worsening while ensuring they're included in your personal injury claim.
Can an MRI Establish Causation in a Personal Injury Case?
Causation involves proving that your injuries were caused by the accident, not a pre-existing condition or a result of another event.
While causation can be difficult to prove in a personal injury case, an MRI can significantly assist in establishing causation in a personal injury case as it can provide key medical evidence that links the injury to the accident.
Will Insurance Pay for an MRI After a Car Accident
Yes, insurance can pay for an MRI report; however, it will depend on factors such as who is at fault and what insurance policy you hold.
Common situations in which insurance will pay for an MRI include:
- At-Fault Driver's Insurance: If another driver is at fault for the car accident and you do not share liability, their liability insurance should pay for medical costs, including the cost of the MRI.
- Personal Injury Protection or Medical Payments Coverage: If you're a holder of PIP or MedPay, your medical bills, including the cost of an MRI, will be covered regardless of fault.
- Health Insurance Coverage: If your auto insurance denied coverage for the MRI, you may be able to use your health insurance to cover the cost.
If insurance refuses to pay for your medical care, it's recommended that you contact an experienced attorney today by calling (702) 566-3600 and get the legal backing you need to obtain fair compensation.
Can an MRI Tell How Old an Injury Is?
While MRI findings can provide detailed insights and clues into the age of an injury, they cannot always pinpoint the exact date it occurred.
However, in a personal injury case, an MRI's findings should be substantial enough to prove causation and counter any insurance denials.
In summary, an MRI can work as a valuable tool in your personal injury claim but should not be the only medical tool you use when documenting injuries following an accident.
How Long Does It Take for the Results of an MRI to Come Back
It generally takes a couple of days to a week for the results of an MRI to come back.
The entire process of MRI will include:
- Imaging: The MRI scan itself can take around 30 to 60 minutes.
- Radiologist Review: The radiologist's review of the diagnostic scan can take around 1-2 hours.
- Filing the Report: It can take 24 to 72 hours for the radiologist to write a detailed report outlining any injuries revealed in the MRI scan.
- Doctor's Consultation: It could be around 24 to 48 hours before your primary doctor or specialist discuss the findings with you.
To ensure you don't miss any crucial medical documentation when filing your personal injury claim, it's important that you seek a doctor or go to the hospital immediately after an accident.
Symptoms That Indicate You Need an MRI
Following an incident such as a car accident, you should be on the lookout for certain symptoms that may indicate the need for an MRI to help identify hidden injuries.
Symptoms that may indicate you need an MRI include:
- Persistent Pain: If you are experiencing chronic pain in your back, neck, or muscles and it does not improve after rest or taking over-the-counter medication, an MRI may be needed to detect nerve or soft tissue injuries.
- Numbness or Tingling: If you experience tingling or a loss of sensation in your arms, legs, hands, or feet, it may be a sign of nerve or spinal cord injuries.
- Severe & Persistent Headaches: Frequent and acute headaches or dizziness can be a symptom of concussions or traumatic brain injuries, which can be fatal if not treated timely.
- Limited Mobility: If you experience difficulty moving your neck, back, or joints, it could be a sign of internal tears, which can easily worsen if not treated.
If you experience any of these injuries following an accident, it's crucial that you immediately see a doctor and start a treatment plan.
What Damages Can I Recover in My Personal Injury Claim
Personal injury claims offer numerous damages that you can recover following an accident such as a car accident, with the most common being:
- Medical Expenses: Past and future hospital, prescription medication, surgery, and rehabilitation costs can be sought in a compensation claim.
- Lost Wages: If your injuries result in you missing work or being unable to work at full capacity, you can recover damages for all past and future lost wages.
- Property Damage: The repair or replacement costs for your personal property can be covered through a claim.
- Pain and Suffering: Compensation for the physical pain and discomfort resulting from your injuries can be sought in a claim.
- Loss of Enjoyment of Life: If the injuries you suffered prevent you from enjoying daily hobbies, exercise, or other activities, you can seek damages for the loss of enjoyment of life.
- Emotional Distress: Emotional and mental damages such as anxiety, depression, or PTSD can be compensated for.
- Punitive Damages: If the at-fault parties' actions were extremely negligent or reckless, the court may award punitive damages to punish the negligent party.
To ensure you have a smooth settlement process and obtain maximum compensation, contact a Las Vegas personal injury attorney from the Rodney Okano Car Accident Lawyer Law Firm today by calling (702) 566-3600.
How Can You Increase Your Car Accident Claim Worth
Maximizing the value of your claim is crucial to ensuring a fair settlement.
Keys ways you can obtain a higher settlement are by:
- Obtaining immediate medical attention
- Getting advanced medical imaging such as an MRI
- Documenting everything
- Not accepting the first settlement offer
- Hiring an attorney to assist in settlement negotiations and case-building
- Considering future damages
Obtain the Compensation You're Entitled To
Contact Us Today
Rodney Okano Car Accident Lawyer is a Las Vegas personal injury law firm with over 20 years of experience helping clients obtain maximum compensation following injuries from accidents such as car crashes, worksite injuries, and slips and falls. Over those years, The Rodney Okano Car Accident Lawyer Law Firm has become an experienced law firm that can ensure exceptional results for any of its clients.
