CAT Scan
CAT Scan tests are used to diagnose personal injuries from car accidents. Similar to MRI tests, an injured patient is put into a machine which conducts the CAT Scan test. A CAT Scan is sometimes called a CT Scan. CT stands for computed tomography. This means that the CAT Scan or CT Scan machine uses a series of x-ray tests which work with a computer to process the findings of the x-ray tests. The computer then puts together a 3d version of the injured body part being tested. X-rays are taken at all angles so that the radiologist who reads the CT scan can view the injured body part from all angles.
CAT Scans/CT Scans are non-invasive and painless objective medical tests. This means that findings on CT Scans are reliable. In a Bucks County, Mercer County, or Philadelphia personal injury case, an injured victim could have CAT Scans taken of the brain, neck, back, and chest areas. The results of a CT/CAT Scan are initially determined by a radiologist and then are transmitted to the medical provider who ordered the test, such as an orthopedic doctor. CAT Scans/CT Scans are similar to x-rays and MRI tests because they result in a picture or video of the body part tested. The results of CT Scans cannot be manipulated or affected by the injured patient. This is why CAT Scans are considered objective medical testing.
In a Philadelphia personal injury case, the findings from the CT/CAT Scan of the injured person still may be contested by the insurance company or by the defense. Insurance companies pay their own doctors to review the findings revealed on CT Scans. These insurance doctors are supposed to be “independent doctors” but they are really hired for one reason: to minimize the injured person’s injuries. It takes an experienced personal injury lawyer, such as the attorneys at Saile & Saile LLP, to challenge these insurance doctors. These insurance doctors will often state that a disc herniation is a disc bulge is not what the injured victim’s treating physicians have found.
CT/CAT Scans do have their risks. The major risk of a CAT Scan is the radiation incurred by the injured patient. One x-ray test may not be that risky, but the series of x-ray tests associated with the CT Scan has been documented as posing a health risk. Most medical providers would agree that the benefits of a CT or CAT Scan certainly outweigh the radiation risks.
If you or a loved one has been seriously injured and required a CAT Scan or CT scan test, it is important to team up with an experienced Bucks County, Mercer County, or Philadelphia personal injury lawyer. A personal injury lawyer must be familiar with the CT/CAT Scan testing procedure and the results of these tests. Contact us for more information regarding a Philadelphia personal injury case involving CAT Scans.
