Dr. Stefano Sinicropi, M.D.

When a person is injured, their main focus is to do everything in their power to help their injury heal and get back to a normal way of life. This is a great mindset to have, but if you suffer a severe spine or neck injury, this can have a number of repercussions for ability to make ends meet or to provide regular income. If you injure your spine at work or due to the actions of another person, you are entitled to seek injury compensation benefits.

Most people aren’t exactly sure how to best pursue compensation for a spine injury, mainly because they’ve never had to file an injury claim in the past. There are a number of different ways to pursue compensation for a spine injury, but there’s one point medical experts and legal professionals agree on – you should always seek out a professional diagnosis from a spine specialist if there is the possibility that you will seek a compensation award.

Why A Professional Diagnosis is Key

Dr. Sinicropi has performed a number of independent medical exams for individuals who have been injured in car accidents or at the workplace. It is extremely important that you seek out a professional to assess these injuries when compensation is on the line. Here’s why:

• Official Documentation – The most important reason why you should get a professional evaluation if you’ve injured your neck or spine is so that you can have a clear diagnosis on paper that you can point to. If you try to file a claim, and you simply state that you’ve had neck pain and headaches for two weeks, but you don’t have any hard evidence outside of your own testimony, you’ll probably be rebuked by the insurance company. Getting a diagnosis from a spine expert will give you a hard copy of your injuries and symptoms that you can reference when filing your claim.
• Symptoms Fade and We Forget – Secondly, a professional diagnosis will ensure that all your symptoms and injuries are added to the record. If you wait to get evaluated, you might not accurately remember your symptoms or your pain levels. If things get left out, or the story you tell changes because you can’t exactly remember how you felt after the injury, the insurance company can challenge your claim based on contradictory statements.
• It May Be Required – In many workplaces, employees are required to seek out a medical examination in order to file for compensation benefits. Even if you’re unsure about whether or not you are going to file, it’s better to get an evaluation and not need to have one, than to need one and never have gotten one.
• Uncovers Hidden Injuries – Due to the oftentimes traumatic and stressful events that occur during a work injury or automobile accident, we may not have the ability to clearly notice the extent of our injuries. You might think your neck pain is just a muscle strain, but a professional diagnosis may reveal a more serious condition, like a disc herniation or a compression fracture. If these injuries go undiagnosed, there’s no way to receive compensation for them.
• Helps Your Mental Health – As we noted above, suffering a spine injury at work or in a car accident is a stressful experience. We often look for ways to put our mind at ease about the experience and our injuries, and one way we can do this is by knowing our health is under control and we are taking active steps to treat the injury. By seeking out a professional evaluation, you’ll get peace of mind knowing what injuries you’re dealing with, and the best way to treat them. Finding a healthy mental mindset can help your physical body recover after a back or neck injury.

If you need an evaluation after an injury where compensation is on the line, reach out to Dr. Sinicropi. He has provided independent medical examinations in the past, and he’s even testified before compensation boards to help patients get the compensation they deserve. If you want to talk to him about your injury or IME, contact his office today.

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