Why Seek Medical Treatment After an Accident
It’s common to find that after an accident, people feel a little roughed up, but okay overall. They are lulled into a false sense of security that everything is okay and that no medical treatment is necessary…
But things aren’t always so cut and dry.
Even if it’s not obvious right away that something’s wrong, your body could be feeling otherwise.
Let’s take a step back – what happens during a car accident?
First, your body produces adrenaline and endorphins in response to the situation. These hormones can inhibit pain and trick you into thinking nothing is wrong.
You can’t always trust your body. Soft tissue injuries are common after an accident, which refers to anything damaging that happens to muscle, tendons and ligaments. Symptoms can take days or weeks to notice, and by that time it can be too late to prove.
They’re not injuries that can be proven by X-ray, but can be diagnosed by an experienced medical professional.
It’s even more important to seek a medical professional if a child is involved in an accident.
Kids aren’t as good as adults at communicating pain or discomfort sustained after a car crash. Besides that, it may be hard to tell if anything is wrong by eyesight alone.
At any rate, play it safe and seek medical treatment for your children immediately after an accident. Don’t forget that if they’re still using a car seat and it was involved in the accident, you will need to replace it. It may not have evidence of damage, but there may be small cracks that pose a safety hazard.
It’s also extremely important to immediately seek medical treatment if you get in a car accident as a pregnant woman. Even after an initial consultation, go back to the doctor if you experience any pain, dizziness, bleeding, or vomiting.
Pregnant women are some of the most vulnerable people that can be involved in a car accident and need to address any issues immediately.
In addition to seeking medical treatment to take care of your body, it’s also important to seek medical treatment just to prove an injury even happened in a legal case. The longer you wait after an accident, the harder an injury will be to prove was a result of the crash.
To protect yourself from a legal standpoint, you can take action even while waiting to get into the doctor’s office. Take pictures of any visible injuries – cuts, bruises, scrapes, etc. Take notes on any pain you’re feeling. These details could help to bring justice to the situation.
After you see the doctor, make sure to carefully keep track of medical expenses – both immediate and ongoing. These will be used as evidence for your personal injury lawyer and car insurance company.
There are several missteps you can make that hurt your chances at a successful personal injury claim.
- First, don’t ever admit blame – instead provide involved parties with an honest account of what happened.
- Absolutely don’t settle until you have completed all necessary medical treatment for the injury to go away on it’s own. If additional costs arise after a settlement, you may not be eligible to get them covered.
- Don’t sign any release forms with car insurance – it’s a surefire way for them to be relieved of responsibility to pay for additional claims.
- Don’t involve anyone in the case that doesn’t need to be involved.
- Finally, don’t let anyone get in the way of filing a police report. These are all necessary pieces of the puzzle to get the most out of a settlement.
For further assistance, it’s important to find a personal injury lawyer to protect your best interests under the law, like your local “Attorney Big Al”.
The “Attorney Big Al” in your area has the experience in these situations and can help you understand your rights.
They are also the ones who will be able to help you get the highest possible claim when dealing with medical problems after an accident.
If a dispute happens over a claim, it’s helpful to have a personal injury lawyer to represent you.
Each “Attorney Big Al” in your area provides free consultations for these situations and more by calling 1-800-HURT-123.
