When You Should See A Doctor After A Car Accident

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After an accident, your primary concern should be taking care of any injuries or physical harm you may have suffered. However, many people do not seek medical attention soon after a crash, either because they don’t feel hurt or they get caught up in work or personal matters. However, if you have been involved in a car accident, you should see a medical professional as soon as possible. 

Why You Should Seek Immediate Medical Attention

Seeing a doctor or other healthcare provider as soon as possible after a crash can help preserve and protect your legal rights to compensation if you were injured and another party is responsible for the accident and your injuries. By promptly identifying your injuries, you can ensure the best possible prognosis or outcome from your treatment, as the longer you allow injuries to go untreated, the more likely that further damage will occur, making it harder to treat those injuries or reach a full recovery. Prompt diagnosis and treatment of your injuries also means that you also begin developing a medical record that establishes what injuries you suffered in the accident and how severe those injuries are. Your treating providers may also be able to determine what treatment and rehabilitation you will likely need to make a maximum recovery from your injuries.

What Happens If You Don’t Immediately Experience Symptoms of Injuries?

Of course, many people do not see a doctor immediately after a motor vehicle crash because they do not experience pain or other symptoms of injuries after an accident. However, in many cases, people eventually begin feeling pain and discomfort in the days or weeks following an accident. 

Even if you think you were not injured in a motor vehicle accident when you talk to the insurance company you should never state that you were not injured in the accident. If you initially say that you did not suffer injuries in the accident but later try to claim that you were injured, the insurance company will have reason to disbelieve your claim. Instead, if insurance adjusters ask if you were injured in an accident but you don’t feel hurt, you can simply say that you will be seeking medical attention as soon as possible and will follow up with the insurance company once a doctor has fully evaluated your condition.

How Delaying Treatment Could Affect Your Motor Vehicle Accident Case

Insurance companies will use an accident victim’s decision to delay seeking medical attention to deny or limit a claim for compensation. If you don’t quickly start treatment, an insurer may argue that your injuries were caused by something other than the accident, or that by not getting prompt treatment you allowed your condition to worsen, and thus you should not be entitled to compensation for more extensive or intensive treatment. By delaying treatment after a motor vehicle crash, you may end up making it harder to secure the financial compensation you need for your medical expenses, even if it turns out that you did suffer serious injuries in the accident. 

Contact a Rochelle Park Personal Injury Lawyer to Discuss Your Motor Vehicle Accident Case in New Jersey

Did you or a loved one sustain serious injuries due to a motor vehicle accident in New Jersey? Don’t let the medical bills pile up while you wait for the negligent party or their insurance company to do the right thing. Right now, you need an aggressive personal injury attorney on your side, fighting to get you the compensation you need, want, and deserve. The skilled attorneys at the Epstein Law Firm, P.A. represent clients injured because of motor vehicle accidents in Jersey City, Union City, Bayonne, Hoboken, and throughout New Jersey. Call (201) 380-7687 or fill out our online contact form to schedule a free consultation about your case. We have an office conveniently located at 340 West Passaic St., Rochelle Park, NJ 07762.

The articles on this blog are for informative purposes only and are no substitute for legal advice or an attorney-client relationship. If you are seeking legal advice, please contact our law firm directly.