When you are injured, the duty is to the person who caused your accident. And the insurance company of the person who caused the accident is not your friend.
Let me explain it like this:
- Accident Case = $25,000 in damages
- Insurance Company = pays out 250,000 claims at $25,000 dollars
- Total for Insurance Companies at 250,000 claims at $25,000 =. $6,250,000,000 (that is BILLIONS)
- Amount in Insurance Company has in Reserves = $5,000,000,000
- Result = INSURANCE COMPANY GOES BROKE
If insurance companies pay out more money than they have, they go broke.
They are not going to pay you what the claim is worth because they are not scared of you. They are going to bluff you, lie to you, and make up stories, one of which is “gap in treatment.”
What is “gap in treatment?”
The insurance company takes the stand that if you were really hurt you would have been at the doctor or medical provider in a timely manner. You would have gotten a prescription, gone to physical therapy, had MRIs or CT scans completed and seen specialist.
But the reality for most people is they cannot afford to do so and request the insurance company to pay an advance so they can go to the medical provider.
Insurance companies respond with: “We are not required to do that.”
So what typically happens is you do not go to the medical provider, you do not get the prescriptions, you do not have tests run and bam! Gap in treatment. “If you were really injured, you would have gotten treatment.”
The insurance company will hold this “gap in treatment” against you in a settlement, force you to settle for a small payout when the case is actually worth more, and get you to release them from responsibility. At which point, the case is closed and nothing more can be done.
It’s a frustrating and unfortunate situation that traps many individuals. It’s also a situation that’s completely avoidable.
The Difference in Hiring an Attorney
A typical process an attorney will take in this type of situations is as follows:
- Arrange for initial medical treatment to evaluate your condition.
- Arrange for physical therapy if needed.
- Run the required tests, like an MRI, a CT Scan, and EMGs.
- Send you to a specialist, like an orthopedist or neurologist.
- Use legal tactics to make the insurance company fear you and your case.
- Get you more money than you could get on your own.
Not hiring an attorney is one of the biggest mistakes individuals can make after an injury-causing accident.
So, what is “gap in treatment” really?
“Gap in treatment” is an excuse for the insurance company to not pay you what the claim is worth because you do not have an attorney. It is a way for them to force you into accepting a small payout.
One key thing to remember is this:
Insurance companies keep a lot of money and their ultimate goal is to not go broke.
Any good personal injury attorney can always get you more money than you can get on your own. Great personal injury attorneys can get you a lot more money.
Call us today at 713-600-1000. We’re available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.