Injured Texans To Get Telemedicine Choice — Finally

More good news from our state legislature

Injured or sick people who can’t get off work, away from taking care of children, or don’t have a way to go get to a doctor will be able to see one on their cell phones or computers.
The new law will be signed by the governor in the next week. More information on how this cutting-edge technology will work is here.
Companies headquartered in Texas, including Teladoc, have been fighting the Texas Medical Board for many years to allow us the freedom to have our prescriptions refilled without lengthy trips and waits in doctors offices. Teladoc had won several lawsuits against the board.
Senate Bill 1107 was written by Dr. Charles Schwertner and will allow the board to maintain disciplinary control over doctors and health care providers.Doctors will be required to review a patient’s medical records before talking to them remotely.
Texas is state 50 out of 50 to allow this long overdue practice. This follows on the heels of the legislature’s approval of the texting while driving law, where we were the 46th state to limit this dangerous practice.

How Does This Affect People Hurt In Car Collisions?

Fortunately, most people injured in car wrecks do not sustain major injuries. The majority experience soft tissue injuries or strains and sprains of their necks and backs, sometimes referred to as whiplash. This is especially true in low speed collisions and rear end accidents or when the passengers are in a truck or sports utility vehicle (which more than 50% of Texans are in).

These injuries still hurt and can go on for months, if not years. But most medical doctors/primary care physicians are not trained in or interested in handling them and just prescribe opiod medications. A client this morning told me that the Tramadol he was prescribed at the emergency room left him feeling like he could not function, and he stopped taking it when he walked into a wall.

Other doctors, including osteopathic physicians and doctors of chiropractic, as well as physical therapists and massage therapists, can provide badly needed relief. If an injured person desires to be healed, he or she will want to actually see these medical providers, not just Face Time with them.

How Do You Know If You Just Have A Strain/Sprain Or It Is Something Worse?

A personal injury lawyer sees car accident victims who are experiencing these symptoms:

  • Headaches
  • Inability to sleep
  • Memory loss
  • Dizziness
  • Fatigue
  • Neck, between the shoulder blades, and low back pain stiffness, soreness, and pain
  • Loss of range of motion in the neck and back

If you are experiencing numbness or tingling in your arms, hands, fingers, legs, feet, or toes, sometimes this is an indication that you have sustained a more serious injury such as a bulging disc, protruding disc, or herniated disc. A diagnostic test such as a magnetic image resonance (MRI) or other tests can help a specialist accurately diagnose the extent of your injuries and whether a surgery might be needed. X-rays and even computed tomography (CT or Cat scan) cannot detect these injuries.

It is important to seek medical treatment immediately after you have been involved in a car accident in the Fort Worth and Dallas areas. The at-fault driver’s insurance company or your own company if you are filing a claim on your own uninsured or underinsured motorist claim or personal injury protection benefits will penalize you by making a lower out of court settlement offer if you delay going to a hospital or doctor. And if you file suit, a jury might wonder why you did not seek medical attention and award a smaller verdict.

The advice of a good car accident lawyer can help you understand your medical diagnosis and what further testing and treatment you may need.

 

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