Do I Need Medical Attention After a Car Accident?
After getting into a car accident, one of the first steps you should take is to seek medical attention so that you can be assessed for accident-related injuries.
In some instances, injuries may be obvious, like an accident involving a broken bone or lacerations. But in some circumstances, you may think that you're not injured when in reality a brain injury or spinal injury is lurking below the surface. Injuries from accidents can easily be covered up by adrenalin and shock, which are common after collisions.
This is why it's so important to seek medical care after any type of car accident so that a professional can evaluate you for issues and use diagnostics to catch those hidden injuries.
Not only is getting medical help important from the standpoint of your health, but it can also affect your ability to obtain compensation for any injuries you might have suffered. The Law Office of Arye P. Corbett may be able to help you get the money you need to pay for any medical treatment that you need.
Schedule a free consultation by calling (561) 948-3700 or using our online form.
Why is it Important to Receive Immediate Medical Attention?
You might have what you think are minor symptoms after your car wreck. For example, you could be feeling some muscle aches. You might be more tired than normal. Or maybe you’re experiencing headaches. There are a lot of injuries that involve muscles and tissues that can take days, or even weeks, to become noticeable.
But if you don’t get treatment, you might eventually have to deal with long-term consequences. You could have ligament damage, a herniated disc, or you could even have a small fracture. There’s also a chance you could have suffered whiplash, especially if you were involved in a rear-end collision. Neck pain could be a sign that you’ve suffered a strain or a sprain. You might not have any idea this has happened until you suddenly turn your neck the wrong way and then you find yourself in excruciating discomfort.
However, if you still don’t get medical help, think about the effect not getting treatment could have on your case. Insurance companies already tend to make it as hard as possible for accident victims to obtain the compensation they deserve. When they don’t get medical treatment, they make it even harder.
The typical insurer will consider 72 hours to be a reasonable time after an accident for someone to seek medical assistance. When a person either waits longer than that, or doesn’t see a doctor at all, that could severely reduce the amount of money the victim will be able to recover.
I Can’t Afford Medical Care or I Don’t Have Health Insurance. Should I Still Seek Medical Treatment?
Even if you don’t have health insurance, or you feel that there’s no way you could afford to see a doctor, get medical help anyway. Take a breath and relax. If someone else’s negligence led to the accident, there’s a very good chance that person’s insurance policy will cover your medical bills.
Your attorney can also prepare a letter of protection (LOP) on your behalf to send to your medical provider. A LOP basically states that any settlement or judgment you receive will be used to pay for your treatment. However, this won’t relieve you of debt. If you’re not able to recover compensation in your case, you’ll still have to make arrangements to pay for your treatment.
Can I Receive Compensation to Cover My Medical Expenses?
If your accident was caused by another driver’s negligence, you may be eligible to receive compensation for your medical expenses. In fact, you could get money for other damages as well. These damages include:
lost wages
lost earning potential
property damage
pain and suffering
There are a lot of factors that will determine how much compensation you are able to obtain. These include:
the amount of the at-fault driver’s insurance policy
the extent of your injuries
whether or not the at-fault driver was impaired at the time of the accident
In order to have the best chance of receiving money, however, you’ll need to have strong evidence to prove your case. A skilled attorney will know exactly how to gather that evidence. This is just one of the many reasons you’ll need experienced legal representation.
How Your Case Will be Affected if You Don’t Receive Medical Attention Immediately Following Your Accident
As stated earlier, another critically important reason to see a doctor is that failing to do so could severely damage your case. Once 72 hours have passed from the time of the accident, you’re going to get a lot more resistance from the insurance company if you haven’t sought treatment.
If you have a record of a medical visit, you’ll still have a strong claim. If you don’t, then it will become very difficult to connect your injury to the accident. The insurance company could easily claim you were hurt for some other reason that had nothing to do with the wreck. And it may very well succeed.
What Happens if I Don’t Follow the Treatment Plan from my Doctors?
It really won’t do any good for you to see a doctor if you’re not intending to follow their treatment plan. Ignoring medical advice could be one of the worst decisions you’ll ever make. Your doctor is trying to help ensure you make a full recovery. Failing to treat your injury could eventually lead to years of physical misery.
It could lead to years of financial misery as well. Not following medical advice could be just as damaging to your case as not getting any sort of medical treatment whatsoever. Insurers will use that against you – guaranteed. If you miss doctor’s appointments, or if the insurer can prove you’re not following a treatment plan, you could very well see your compensation reduced substantially.
Contact a Car Accident Attorney as Soon as Possible
Hopefully, you now realize how important it is to get medical help after a car accident – even if you think nothing’s wrong. It will be just as important to hire a skilled attorney, one who will fight for your rights and help you obtain the compensation you deserve.
Arye P. Corbett is just that attorney. Schedule a free review of your case by contacting us online or calling (561) 948-3700.