Why Should You Seek Medical Attention Immediately After a Car Accident?

Your thoughts may be racing in the moments following a collision with another vehicle, but it’s important to stay calm. Your first priority should always be your safety, so if you feel you are seriously injured, call 9-1-1 and ask for emergency medical assistance. But, what should you do if you have only suffered minor injuries in a car accident? Many people may want to avoid the hassle of going to the doctor, but this is a huge mistake. Any injury-big or small-should be treated by a medical professional as soon as possible after a car accident.

Why? Unless you are a doctor, you have no way of knowing whether the injuries you have sustained during a car accident are serious. The longer you wait to see a doctor, the more you are putting your own health at risk.

Waiting can also affect the outcome of your car accident claim. How? Let’s say you are involved in a car accident and choose not to seek medical attention because the only pain you are experiencing is a minor headache. But, in the days following the accident, you begin to develop other symptoms such as nausea, confusion, difficulty concentrating, and balance problems, so you decide to finally seek medical attention. The doctor may diagnose you with a concussion , which is a type of traumatic brain injury that can occur when you hit your head against the steering wheel, window, or dashboard of your vehicle. It may be obvious to you that you sustained this concussion in the car accident, but how will you prove that to be true? The at-fault party’s insurance company or attorney may argue that you were injured in some other way, but want to place the blame on the other driver so you can recover compensation.

This is just one example of an injury that may not be noticeable for several hours or days after an accident. Other injuries that may go unnoticed following an accident include back pain, whiplash, and other soft tissue injuries. Delaying a trip to the doctor may affect your ability to recover the compensation you deserve for your injuries. Avoid this problem by seeing a doctor immediately after a car accident, even if you don’t think your injuries are severe.

After you have been treated by a medical professional, the next step is contacting a personal injury attorney to discuss your case. James Rush at Rush Injury Law will fight tirelessly to help you recover the compensation you deserve. Call our law office at 415-897-4801 or fill out the online form on our website www.rushinjurylaw.com to request a free consultation with our team.