The Importance of Seeking Medical Attention After an Accident
People may not seek medical attention right after an accident for various reasons. They may worry about medical bills because they don’t have health insurance. They may not think they are injured or are not sure they are. They may be busy and just don’t want to make the time.
Regardless, seeking medical attention in the wake of an accident is imperative for many reasons.
Accidents are often caused by someone else’s negligence, whether it is a car, bicycle, motorcycle, truck, airline, trip or slip and fall, or other misadventure. Although Kentucky may be a no-fault state for accidents, that does not mean the person who caused it can’t be held financially accountable. Getting medical treatment is key to recovery from your injuries and your claim.
If you have been in an accident in Louisville, Lexington, or anywhere in Kentucky, Slechter Law Firm, PLLC, is here to help. Attorneys Mr. Slechter and Mrs. Slechter will use their resources and knowledge to guide you in the right direction after an accident. Also, the reliable personal injury attorneys at the firm can help you seek your deserved compensation.
What Are Some Common Accident Injuries?
There are common injuries after an accident that are readily apparent or immediately debilitating, such as bone fractures, spinal injuries, cuts and abrasions, and loss of consciousness. If your arm is shattered in a head-on collision, it is highly unlikely you will be physically capable of avoiding medical attention at the scene.
If they are not obvious, how long after an accident do injuries appear? It depends. However, there are common injuries that are less obvious but equally as dangerous or even deadly without medical intervention. Soft tissue injuries such as whiplash caused when your head snaps forward and back upon impact may first seem like just a sore neck accompanied by a headache. What you may not know, though, is that you could have bruising on the brain or bleeding because your brain hit the inside of your skull. Even if you did not suffer a closed-head injury, you have injured your cervical spine and the surrounding soft tissues.
While some bone fractures are obvious, others are small or “hairline,” but that doesn’t mean they may cause lifelong problems if left untreated. Sprains and strains of muscles and tendons should be diagnosed, monitored, and treated, as should dislocations.
Traumatic brain injury and internal bleeding are not injuries to be ignored. Left untreated, they can be deadly. The only way to know what is going on is to be examined, diagnosed, and treated by a healthcare professional.
Why Should I Get Medical Care After an Accident?
Your health is the number one reason for seeking immediate medical attention following an accident. Delaying examination, diagnosis, and treatment will hinder your ability to recover from your injuries. An emergency room physician will know what types of injuries to look for, order the proper diagnostics to identify them, diagnose what is wrong, and recommend the next steps for treatment.
The second reason for seeking medical attention is to substantiate a personal injury claim. Being injured is not enough. You need a physician’s diagnosis relating the cause of the injury to the accident, to file a claim against the negligent party’s liability insurance. You also need to incur and document medical expenses and other damages, such as losing wages if you cannot work due to your injuries.
Timing is not only of the essence because of your health but your claim as well. If you delay diagnosis, the insurer will allege you were not injured seriously enough to seek treatment right away or that you injured yourself after, not during, the accident, in an unrelated event.
Recovery from your injuries and financial recovery for your harm and losses is dependent on getting timely medical attention.
Is a Diagnosis All I Need to Pursue a Personal Injury Claim?
Getting the initial examination and diagnosis is only the first step in your physical recovery and in filing a personal injury claim. It is crucial that you follow up with other healthcare providers as recommended by the emergency physician and adhere to the completion of those providers’ treatment plans.
The treatment plan will include the provider’s recommendations regarding rest, movement, medications, therapy, surgery, and other treatment designed to help you recover to the fullest extent possible. You may never recover as you should if you don’t adhere to the plan.
If you allege that pain and limitations continue after you stop following doctor’s orders, the insurance company will assert that your ongoing issues are your fault. If you allege the same after fully complying with the treatment plan, it substantiates the value of your damages, which increases the value of your settlement.
Protect Your Health & Your Future
The best action you can take for your health and for any potential liability claim is to get emergency medical attention whether you think you need it or not. Let the medical professionals make that determination. Trying to go back hours, days, weeks, or months later will exact a toll on your recovery and on your personal injury claim.
As personal injury attorneys at Slechter Law Firm, PLLC, in Louisville, Kentucky, Mr. Slechter and Mrs. Slechter have worked with clients who sought medical intervention right away and those who did not. If you have been injured in a car accident or any other type of accident involving someone else’s negligence, call them now to schedule a free case consultation.