Immediately after a major car wreck, you may feel perfectly fine. Often, the body is pumped full of adrenaline as it experiences a “fight or flight” response to a traumatic event. This response can alter your perception of pain and make underlying injuries less apparent.
Many people refuse to seek medical treatment after a car accident, so it may shock them when they begin to experience pain from the accident in the days or weeks to follow.
This is one of the reasons why it is exceptionally vital to visit the emergency room or schedule an appointment with your doctor following a car accident. Additionally, if the other party was at-fault for your wreck, you’ll need to possess clear documentation of your injuries to successfully receive fair compensation from the insurance company.
Why You Should Always Accept Medical Care Following an Accident
Other than the obvious reason for receiving medical care for your immediate wounds, there are also several other benefits to seeking medical attention as soon as possible, including:
- Ruling out non-visible injuries such as concussion, brain, or internal injuries
- Providing documentation of all injuries
- Linking your injuries directly to the accident
- Helping with the insurance claim process
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The Importance of Medical Documentation in Car Accident Claims
Medical documentation is critical to your claim should you decide to pursue legal action. A detailed record from a medical professional which directly links your injuries to the car incident can prove vital to your case. The closer in time, the injuries occur to the accident, the more likely a jury or judge can believe it correlates directly with your wreck.
However, other injuries may not be readily apparent immediately following your accident, while some injuries, such as whiplash, may cause further complications to develop down the line. Thus, it’s valuable to establish a clear timeline of your injuries and to keep strict medical records of your treatments and injuries.
How to Receive a Medical Evaluation Following a Car Wreck
There are several ways to receive medical treatment in the aftermath of a car accident, such as:
1. Allow first responders to take you to the hospital
If you need emergency treatment, your best option is to listen to the first responders and go to the hospital if necessary.
2. Have Friends or Family Members Drive You to the Emergency Room
If your wounds need less immediate care, you may wish to save the fees that often come attached to paramedics, in which case friends and family members may drive you to the emergency room to treat non-life-threatening wounds.
3. Visit an Urgent Care Clinic or Schedule an Appointment with Your Doctor
If you can drive yourself to the doctor and have less severe wounds that you still feel need to be assessed, then a walk-in clinic or scheduled physician’s appointment are the best options for ensuring you receive documentation of your injuries.
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Damages Eligible for Compensation
Many victims of car accidents choose not to seek medical treatment for fear of the costs associated with it. However, most medical treatments are eligible for compensation from the insurance company.
Following an accident, you can seek recovery for any of the following expenses related to your injuries, including:
- Ambulance costs
- Emergency room visits
- Medical treatments
- Prescription drug costs
- Physical therapy and ongoing treatment
- Future medical care
- Lost wages
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
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If You Didn’t Know You Were Injured at the Time of Your Car Accident, Our Personal Injury Attorneys Can Help You Assess Your Legal Options
Many victims of car accidents don’t realize the full extent of their injuries until the days and weeks following their collision, which is why it’s so critical to seek medical treatment as soon as possible after a car wreck.
However, just because you didn’t seek medical treatment immediately after your car accident does not mean compensation for your injuries isn’t possible. An experienced personal injury attorney can help you prove the extent of your injuries to recover fair compensation for your losses.
Speak with A Personal Injury Attorney in South Carolina Today
To learn more about what the team at the Hammack Law Firm can do for your claim, Call us at (864) 740-8653 or contact us to receive your free case evaluation today! Our dedicated team based in the Upstate of South Carolina will carefully evaluate the details of your accident to determine the best steps for recovering your total compensation amount.
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