Is It Bad for My Claim If I Don’t Go to My Medical Appointments?

After a car accident, your life is thrown into disarray. On top of the pain from your injuries, you’re now juggling a calendar packed with doctor’s visits, physical therapy sessions, and specialist consultations. It can be exhausting and overwhelming. Sometimes, life gets in the way—you’re too busy with work, you can’t find childcare, or you’re simply too tired and sore to make it to another appointment. You might think, “It’s just one appointment, what’s the big deal?”

In the context of a personal injury claim, however, it is a very big deal. So, is it bad for your claim if you don’t go to your medical appointments? Yes, it is extremely bad.

Missing or being inconsistent with your medical appointments is one of the most damaging mistakes you can make. Every missed appointment provides the insurance company with powerful ammunition to argue that your injuries are not as severe as you claim, giving them a legitimate reason to devalue or deny your claim.

Useful Information for You: In a Nutshell

• Yes, It Is Very Bad for Your Claim: Missing appointments is one of the most common and harmful mistakes an injury victim can make.
• It Creates “Gaps in Treatment”: Insurance adjusters will point to these gaps as “proof” that you were not truly in pain or that your injury had already healed.
• It Questions the Severity of Your Injury: The insurer’s argument is simple: “If you were really hurting as much as you claim, you would have gone to your doctor.”
• It Can Break “Causation”: It gives the insurer a chance to argue that any pain you felt after the missed appointment was caused by a new, intervening event, not the original car accident.
• The Legal Duty to “Mitigate Damages”: In Washington, you have a legal duty to take reasonable steps to recover from your injuries. Skipping prescribed treatment can be seen as a failure to meet this duty.

The Insurance Adjuster’s Favorite Argument: “Gaps in Treatment”

Insurance adjusters are trained to scrutinize your medical records for one thing above all else: inconsistencies. When they see a pattern of missed or canceled appointments, they call this a “gap in treatment.” This becomes the central theme of their argument against you.

Imagine you have a whiplash injury and your doctor prescribes physical therapy twice a week for six weeks. You go for the first two weeks, then miss the third week, and then resume treatment. The adjuster will argue:

• “The claimant must have felt better during that third week, otherwise they would have gone to their appointments.”
• “The pain they complained about in the fourth week could have been caused by something else they did during their week off from treatment.”

They use these gaps to create doubt about the seriousness and continuous nature of your injury.

The Legal Problem: Failure to Mitigate Your Damages

The law in Washington State requires an injured person to act reasonably to minimize the extent of their own losses. This is known as the duty to mitigate damages.

In the context of a personal injury claim, this means you must follow your doctor’s prescribed treatment plan. If a doctor tells you to attend physical therapy and you choose not to go, the insurance company can argue that you failed to mitigate your damages. They will claim that your injury would have healed faster—or that your current pain is your own fault—because you ignored medical advice. A jury can legally reduce your compensation if they agree that you did not take reasonable steps to get better.

What is a “Reasonable” Excuse for Missing an Appointment?

Of course, life happens. A legitimate, documented reason for having to reschedule an appointment—such as a family emergency or a sudden illness (unrelated to your injuries)—is usually understandable.

The problem is not a single rescheduled appointment; the problem is a pattern of non-compliance. Consistently missing appointments, stopping treatment for several weeks, or failing to follow up with a specialist as your doctor recommended are the actions that will seriously harm your case.

Your Medical Treatment is Your Story

Your medical records tell the story of your injury and recovery. Consistent attendance at your appointments creates a clear, unbroken narrative of your commitment to getting better. This story is crucial for proving the full extent of your pain and suffering to the insurance company.

Don’t give the insurance adjuster an easy reason to deny the compensation you deserve. Following your doctor’s orders is the best thing you can do for both your physical health and the financial health of your claim.

If you are struggling to manage your medical care after a car accident in the Tacoma area, an experienced attorney can help. They can coordinate with your doctors and ensure your treatment is properly documented. Search the Car Accident Lawyer Directory Tacoma to find and compare trusted local professionals who can guide you through the process.

References

• Washington Pattern Jury Instructions (WPI 30.08.01) – Mitigation of Damages—Personal Injury:The official instruction for juries in Washington State, which explains their duty to consider whether the plaintiff took reasonable steps to minimize their injuries.

  https://www.courts.wa.gov/superiori/pattern_jury_instructions/WPI%2030.08.01%20Mitigation%20of%20Damages%20-%20Personal%20Injury.pdf

• NOLO – “Gaps in Medical Treatment in a Personal Injury Case”:A reputable legal resource for consumers that explains in detail why gaps in treatment are so damaging to a personal injury claim.

  https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/gaps-in-medical-treatment-in-a-personal-injury-case.html