Addiction to Prescription Opiates Following Motor Vehicle Accidents
In many personal injury related accidents, injured parties are given prescription medication. Often time we see horrible addictions to pain killers develop. What many personal injury attorneys fail to realize is that you’re (the plaintiff) entitled to recovery for this addiction. It is probable that absent the accident, pain and ultimate prescription to pain medication, you likely would not have developed an addiction. If you have developed an addiction to pain medication as a result of an accident or personal injury case we would like to hear from you.
How to argue Addiction as Part of a Personal Injury Case
It is clear that the insurance company will never provide or accept pain medication addiction as part of your claim. In order to properly pursue this element of your claim here are the important things to remember.
First, you must have an accident that has produced an injury. This can be any type of personal injury, which has caused you to become injured. Second, you must have a your physician provide you with the prescription for the medication. Third, it must be demonstrated that you were not prone to abusing such medication. Number three on this list is the most important. If you have previous issues with addiction it is more difficult to argue that medication abuse was as a result of this accident.
In contrast you can also show that if you had previous issues with medication, but the pain was so chronic that you had no other alternatives. In such a case you can clearly demonstrate that, while you had previous issues in the past that they were no longer an issues.
While the insurance company will work to discredit your position it is important that you have an attorney who understands how this element of your case works.
You Can Receive Recovery for Addiction Caused by Injuries in a Personal Injury Case
One of the most important elements of dealing with this issue is understanding how to properly calculate the value. Assessing the value of your addiction caused by an accident must consider certain elements. First, what is the cost of a detox center or treatment facility? This cost can vary depending on the geographic location of the individual. Second, what is the length of treatment that is necessary? In certain situations and depending on the addiction, some may require long-term stays. What is the likelihood of relapse? What happens if the person relapses?
Each person will have a different value depending on plenty of different factors. However, it is critical that this be added to your claim. While we see addiction issues or common in catastrophic cases, they are also common in medium to low impact collisions. This is even more so when you have long term chronic pain issues that develop.
If you have an ongoing personal injury case where you have been injured it is important that you consider this type of recovery. While most insurance companies will attempt to block your recovery, you must seek justice for the extent harm suffered by negligence of another.
Free Attorney Consultation Available: Feel free to contact our office to have a free confidential consultation about your case. We look forward to helping you better understand your case and how you obtain the true value for the injuries you have sustained.
