Medical Treatment - MRI

An MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) test is commonly used to diagnose personal injuries in Pennsylvania and New Jersey car accident cases.  MRI testing uses magnetic fields to take pictures of certain parts of the human body.  The MRI test produces a two dimensional photo of the body part.  Doctors use MRIs in personal injury cases to find and diagnose injuries so that proper medical treatment can be pursued by the injured patient.

I don’t like MRI tests…do I really have to get one?

MRI tests are commonly used by family doctors, chiropractors, orthopedists, and neurologists to diagnose spinal injuries including disc bulging, disc herniations, and other problems with the spine.  Orthopedic doctors use MRI testing for knee injuries and shoulder injuries to diagnose tears and rips in the ligaments and tendons. In addition to x-ray testing, MRI testing is also used on the feet, hip joints, wrists, head, and many other joints in the body.

After a PA or NJ car accident, your doctor will usually request that you rest and take it easy for a few weeks.  This period will give the muscles, tendons, and ligaments of the body time to rest and repair themselves.  If you are still suffering intense pain in your neck or back a few weeks after the car accident, your doctor may order an MRI test.  In a Bucks County car accident injury case, you or your doctor may need to get precertification for the MRI test from your auto insurance company or health insurance provider.  

Today, MRI tests can be done at an MRI testing center or at your local hospital.  You should follow your doctor’s recommendations as to where you should obtain your MRI test.   After you have obtained your MRI test, you should schedule an appointment with your treating doctor to review the results of the MRI test. 

An experienced personal injury lawyer will also be able to explain the results of your MRI test to you. It is recommended that you find a local personal injury lawyer who is familiar with MRI test results and how to prove your personal injuries to an insurance adjuster, and if necessary to a judge or jury.  If your injury claim results in a lawsuit and finally goes to trial, the results of your MRI test will be presented and explained to a jury.  It is your personal injury lawyer’s duty to explain and convince the jury that your injury as shown on the MRI test is a serious and permanent type of injury.

MRI test results are extremely important if you have selected the limited tort restriction on your PA auto insurance or the verbal threshold restriction on your NJ auto insurance policy.  Your Bucks County personal injury lawyer should know whether your MRI test results are serious enough to overcome the limited tort – verbal threshold restrictions.  If you have been injured in a PA or NJ car accident, truck accident, or motorcycle accident, contact the experienced personal injury lawyers at Saile & Saile LLP to learn more about your MRI test results.