Why Treatment Timing and Documentation Matter
Most injury cases move at the pace of the medical evidence. Nerve testing and physical therapy can matter because they help answer two questions that often drive the timeline: (1) what exactly is wrong (diagnosis), and (2) how much it affects your daily life and work (impact and prognosis). When those answers are still developing, it’s harder to evaluate the claim in a reliable way.
In plain terms, ongoing care can slow down settlement discussions, but it can also strengthen the documentation of your injury and the connection to the incident—especially when symptoms persist or change over time.
Common Scenarios and What They Often Mean
- Referral and scheduling delays: Nerve testing typically requires a referral and an appointment with a specialist. Any delay getting the referral, scheduling, or receiving the final report can push back the point when the claim feels “ready” to evaluate.
- Physical therapy as “proof of course”: PT records often show objective details over multiple visits—range of motion, strength, pain behaviors, and functional progress. That can help support the seriousness and duration of symptoms, but it takes time to build that record.
- Changing treatment plan: If your doctor adds testing or PT because symptoms aren’t improving, the claim may remain in a “still treating” phase longer. Insurers often wait to see whether treatment resolves the issue or whether longer-term problems remain.
- Need for a clear medical opinion: When symptoms could be nerve-related, the claim may benefit from a provider clearly explaining (in medical terms) how the findings relate to the incident and what limitations they cause. That kind of clarity often comes after testing and follow-up.
Practical Documentation Tips (Non‑Medical)
- Track the referral trail: Keep a simple log of dates: when the referral was requested, any messages sent, and when appointments were scheduled. This helps explain delays that were outside your control.
- Save key paperwork: Keep visit summaries, work notes/restrictions (if any), PT attendance records, and the final nerve testing report once it’s available.
- Be consistent in descriptions: When you describe symptoms in forms or messages, stick to accurate, plain descriptions (where it hurts, what movements trigger it, what activities you can’t do). Inconsistent descriptions can create avoidable disputes.
- Ask for clarification when needed: If a record is unclear about whether symptoms are related to the incident, your attorney may request a clarifying narrative from a treating provider. That can take additional time, but it can reduce confusion later.
How This Applies
Apply to your facts: Because your arm pain may be nerve-related and the earlier referral process stalled, your timeline may depend on how quickly you can (1) get the new referral, (2) complete the nerve testing, and (3) follow through with any recommended PT. Keeping a written log showing that the delay came from scheduling/communication issues—not lack of follow-through—can help explain the gap and keep the claim moving once testing and therapy are underway.
What the Statutes Say (Optional)
- N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1-52 (Civil statutes of limitation) – sets a three-year limitations period that commonly applies to personal injury claims.
Conclusion
Needing nerve testing or physical therapy often affects timing because it takes time to get referrals, complete care, and generate the records that show diagnosis, progress, and lasting limitations. Those same records can also make your claim clearer and more defensible. The practical next step is to document the referral/testing/PT timeline carefully and speak with a licensed North Carolina personal injury attorney soon enough to protect any filing deadlines.
