By: Taylor Morin, Associate Lawyer
If you have sustained injuries in a motor vehicle accident, you should schedule an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible. Once you are able to see your doctor, you should explain the details of the accident, as well as the medical problems that you are experiencing. It is important to provide your doctor with as many details as possible, so that they are able to treat you adequately and guide your recovery. Below is a list of questions that you should ask your doctor:
What is the diagnosis?
Am I able to continue working?
What is the prognosis?
Do I require any medications?
Do I require any treatments?
Do I require any medical aids?
Are there any tasks that I should avoid doing, such as certain household chores or leisure activities?
If your attending doctor is of the opinion that you are unable to continue working because of your injuries, you should ask them for a note which confirms that. Generally, if you are unable to work because of a motor vehicle accident, you are eligible for employment insurance disability benefits and a wage replacement benefit from your automobile insurance. However, in order to access those benefits, you will need to provide a medical note from your doctor.
If your doctor provides you with a medical note regarding your inability to work, you should ask them to be as specific as possible in the note. A vague note which simply states that you are unable to work could potentially cause a delay in receiving benefits. To avoid this, the note should indicate the specific medical condition that is preventing you from working, as well as the cause of that condition.
Generally, a doctor will only provide you with an off work note for a specific period of time. Before the expiry of that note, if you remain incapable of working, make sure to schedule a follow-up appointment with your doctor. If at that time your doctor feels as though you are still incapable of working, you should obtain another note which confirms that.
If your doctor is of the opinion that you require medication or treatments because of the motor vehicle accident, you should request a medical note which confirms that. Again, it is preferable for the note to be specific regarding the medical condition which requires treatment/medication, as well as the cause of that condition.
If you feel as though the medications and treatments prescribed by your doctor are not improving your condition, you should schedule a follow-up appointment with your doctor to discuss alternative treatments/medications.
It is important that you follow your doctor’s recommendations. As the injured party in a motor vehicle accident, you have a legal duty to mitigate your damages. Essentially, this means that you must exercise best efforts in your recovery. Disobeying a doctor’s orders without sufficient reasons could result in a breach of that duty.
DISCLAIMER: The publications on this website are intended to provide information of a general nature and not legal advice. The information contained in this publication is current to the date of the publication and may be subject to change following the publication date.
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