The Impact of Coronavirus on the practice of personal injury

Medical Treatment

With hospitals overwhelmed with Covid-19 patients, many victims of an injury may
find it difficult to get the requisite medical treatment they require to
improve their condition. Clients are rightfully concerned about seeking medical
treatment, particularly while maintaining social distancing and stemming the
spread of contamination. 

A competent attorney will help their clients navigate the proverbial minefield of
medical treatment during this pandemic, by referring clients to medical
providers that recognize the value in adhering to state required medical
mandates. Telemedicine has allowed many health-care providers to continue
treating their patients while observing social distancing. 

Telemedicine involves the use of software and video conferencing to provide medical and clinical services to patients – without the risk of an in-person visit. It’s important that your personal injury attorney understands the new standards of medical treatment, particularly when the injured client may be hesitant to seek care from medical providers.

Will the pandemic affect my settlement?

Insurance companies know that there is a higher chance of personal injury plaintiffs attorneys accepting less than desirable settlements as a result of the pandemic. Many injury victims are already struggling financially, and a less than ideal settlement an insurance company offers may be a tempting reprieve from the financial hardships they face. A good personal injury attorney will provide you with a realistic view of the offer that the insurance company has tendered, and let you know if it represents a fair value of the claim, or if it falls below what would be considered fair compensation.

Will the Pandemic affect my case in litigation?

Courthouses throughout the state of Colorado have largely closed their doors as a result of the pandemic. In some cases, courts are operating with only the bare minimum of essential workers. Across nearly all jurisdictions in Colorado, legal proceedings have either slowed to a crawl or ground to a halt entirely. It’s extremely likely that if you had or have an upcoming jury trial scheduled, the trial date will be postponed for a future date.

This has put an unprecedented and harmful delay on personal injury cases, which are often time sensitive and rely on a structured trial date for resolution. Despite these hardships, your attorney should remain diligent and open on advancing your case, even if no proceeding or actions will move forward on your case for several months. It’s imperative that, during this delay, injury victims continue to receive the necessary medical care that they need to make a full recovery, and attorneys continue to build their clients’ legal cases.

Conclusion

 The turmoil our country faces presents multi-faceted problems for the practice of personal injury. Now more than ever, its critical that attorneys anticipate future obstacles and stay on top of their game. Injury victims will require additional guidance to maintain their own physical and mental health while navigating the complications of treating their injuries with safe social distancing practices. This pandemic will eventually pass, but we don’t know when, and we don’t know the full extent of the impact it will have on our society. 

Personal injury attorneys, has a duty to prepare themselves for these challenges, educate ourselves, and mitigate the potential negative effects to our clients as the pandemic reshapes the field of personal injury.