The Downsides Of “Toughing It Out” After An Accident
The Importance Of Seeking Medical Attention After An Accident
Many accident victims have grown up with the attitude that if you’re breathing and none of your bones are visible, you don’t need to go see a doctor. However, if you’ve been injured in an accident, putting off a medical appointment could have severe negative consequences. Failure to see a doctor could damage your claim, reducing its value and your overall settlement. We recommend seeking medical attention as quickly as possible after an accident, even if it doesn’t seem like you are seriously injured. Then, you should consult with experienced personal injury lawyers in your area. For your free consultation with a dedicated member of our Mesa Personal Injury Lawyers, call 480-833-8000.
Lack Of Medical Record & Evidence
Just like in every other legal case, there needs to be evidence in a personal injury claim. One of the most crucial pieces of evidence in a personal injury claim is the plaintiff’s medical record. It is important for several reasons. It can show if you had pre-existing injuries or medical conditions that are partially responsible for the symptoms you are experiencing. On the other hand, it can be used to show that you were in perfectly good health before the accident. But most importantly, your medical record will show the extent of your injuries, and how they have impacted your daily life.
Delay Investigation Process
There are certain factors that can increase a party’s culpability in an accident that can go unnoticed if the accident isn’t investigated swiftly. Let’s say you are injured in a car accident but procrastinate seeking medical attention. The injuries are worse than you previously thought, and now it seems like the other driver may have been drunk or high at the time of the accident. If you wait too long to come to these conclusions, there will be no way to prove the other driver’s sobriety level. That is one of the several reasons that you shouldn’t hesitate to seek medical attention after an accident.
Be Unaware Of Alternative Payment Methods
The number one reason we hear that clients didn’t seek medical care is because they believed they couldn’t afford the out-of-pocket costs. When finances are tight, being in an accident will only make things worse. If you were in a car accident, you should check if your auto insurance policy includes MedPay. If so, your own auto insurance policy will pay some or all of your medical expenses after an accident, even if it wasn’t your fault. Your Chandler injury attorney can also help you find doctors who accept payment through medical liens. The balance of the lien is the cost of your medical treatment, and the collateral is your forthcoming personal injury award. Your doctors will be paid out of your award when you receive your settlement.
Make Your Injuries Worse
If you’ve been injured in an accident, there are probably several things you can do to make your injuries better, as well as worse. Depending on your injuries, your doctor might want you on bed rest, using a brace or sling, using physical therapy services, taking medications, and more. If you don’t visit a doctor to hear their specific instructions, you could end up aggravating your injury. The other party is not responsible for damages caused by your failure to seek medical treatment.
Time Off From Work
Much of the time, one of the main things you can do to help yourself recover from an injury is to rest. This could be nearly impossible if you have a physically demanding job. And if your boss is strict or your workplace is understaffed, it may be difficult for you to get time off from work. Your boss may need a doctor’s note to excuse you from work on short notice or for an extended amount of time. A doctor’s note recommending a certain amount of rest time can also be good evidence to support a demand for lost wages in your personal injury claim.
Miss Unknown Injuries
Some types of injuries may take days or even weeks for you to feel, especially if you had an adrenaline rush at the time of the accident. For example, the most common type of car accident is a rear end collision. Rear end collisions commonly result in neck and spine injuries like whiplash. It could take days, years, or even months after your accident for whiplash symptoms to present themselves. However, a doctor may be able to observe signs like stiffness and swelling, combined with the details of your accident, to diagnose whiplash before you even feel it.
Claim Current & Future Medical Expenses
One of the main types of damages you can collect in a personal injury claim is medical costs. If your injuries are severe, you can also demand compensation for your lifetime medical expenses. The problem is, if you don’t see a doctor about your injuries, you won’t incur medical expenses. You also won’t be able to include the cost of your future medical care. Both of these damages also go into calculating your pain and suffering, so this potential damage will be reduced as well.
Were You Really Injured?
The other party’s insurance provider will be looking for any possible reason to avoid paying out your claim. There are certain actions you can take to show the insurance company that your injuries are serious and so is your claim. Hiring a Buckeye personal injury attorney and taking time off from work are two signs to the insurance company that your injuries are severe. But the most important way to indicate to the other party that you have a serious claim is by seeking and following up with medical treatment. If you haven’t, the other side will argue that your injuries must not really be that bad.
Possibility Of Head Trauma
There are innumerable ways that you can injure your head in an accident. And after a head injury, you might feel tired and an overwhelming urge to go to bed. But under these circumstances, going to bed could be one of the worst things you could do. While it isn’t necessarily true that you will die if you go to sleep after a concussion, it can still be dangerous. The issue is that you might have a seizure after falling asleep, which might not wake you. Even if a loved one is watching you, they might not be able to detect the seizure while you are asleep. Doctors generally recommend seeking medical attention after a concussion if you can’t meet all three of the following factors:
- Your pupils aren’t dilated;
- You can hold a conversation, and;
- You can walk without difficulty.
Your Second Call After Being Injured In An Arizona Accident
If there’s one thing that we want to make clear, it’s that you should seek medical attention as soon as you can after being injured in an accident. And before you talk to the other party’s insurance company, you should speak to Mesa Personal Injury Lawyers who are familiar with your rights as an accident victim. If you have any questions after being in an accident in Arizona, call our firm at 480-833-8000 for your free case evaluation with one of our experienced injury lawyers.
1731 West Baseline Road Suite #103
Mesa, AZ 85202
Tel: 602-600-6001
Enail: [email protected]
Website: injurylawyersmesa.com
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