When you are injured following an accident, choosing a doctor can be a difficult and stressful process. If you have health insurance, you probably want to choose someone within your network. A lot of our clients rely on recommendations from family, friends, or trusted medical providers. If you prefer a physician that is not within your insurance plan, you can always inquire about what the self-pay cost would be.
How do you know if you can trust your doctor?
One way to put your mind at ease is with the Virginia Board of Medicine Practitioner Information. Public information for myriad types of doctors and practices include:
- Office locations
- Self-designated areas of practice
- Whether they accept Medicare or Medicaid
- Educational background
- Felony convictions
- Formal orders from the Virginia Board of Medicine or other states
- Malpractice claims made against the practitioner
- Malpractice claims paid out by the practitioner
How to check your doctor’s license
You can also research whether or not your medical provider has a valid license in Virginia at Health Professional Data Services. This site will inform you on:
- What active licenses the provider has
- Their license number
- When they were first licensed
- Links to public information from the Board of Medicine if there have been any allegations of wrongdoing
Working with your doctor regarding your accident injury
As patients, we know it’s important to listen to your doctor. When filing a personal injury claim, it’s imperative to not only follow the doctor’s orders, but to:
- Reschedule any canceled appointments
- Be very clear with your physician regarding pain, progress, and any needs you may have
- Hold on to all medical-related receipts and paperwork
- Keep your attorney (and/or their legal assistant) in the loop about any physical progress being made.
If you have suffered an injury or medical complication due to the negligence of a doctor, the attorneys at Allen & Allen may be able to help. Give us a call at 866-3337-1708 or fill out our contact form for a free consultation.
