Seeking medical attention after a crash is crucial and it should be the very first thing you do. I understand it can feel overwhelming after you have suffered injuries in a serious motor vehicle crash. Between dealing with getting your car repaired, finding alternative transportation and other crash related tasks, you may be tempted to forego seeking medical treatment especially if you think your injuries will heal on their own or you think they are not serious. Nonetheless, it is so important to seek medical attention immediately.
Your Health & Well Being Are Important
Seeking medical treatment after a crash is extremely important to your health and well-being as many victims experience a surge of adrenaline in the moments after a crash and you may not experience pain or other symptoms at the time. You may mistakenly believe that you were not injured only to discover a few days later that you are in excruciating pain or having trouble focusing.
Some crash victims may not be able to see any physical injuries at the time, however, you may have suffered a concussion, internal damage, a brain injury or soft issue injuries and getting medical attention shortly after a crash can help identify an injury. It may take several days or even weeks before some injuries are noticed and you should not assume that injuries will clear up on their own without medical intervention. Seeking medical treatment is also important so that you can get an initial diagnosis with instructions on how to safeguard your health and to carefully follow your doctor’s orders so that you may be able to recover more quickly. Seeking immediate medical attention can also help you protect you legally as it establishes the connection between the physical trauma and the motor vehicle crash.
A Crash Can Affect Your Life
Not seeking treatment for your injuries could adversely affect your claim. It may make insurance adjusters believe that you were not really injured, that you had a pre-existing injury or that you caused additional damage by refusing treatment. This can cause the insurance company to deny your claim or offer a very low settlement. By failing to seek treatment, crash victims give the insurance adjuster the opportunity to question their credibility.
Seeking medical attention and treatment may form the basis of the value of other damages, such as your pain and suffering damages. By seeing a doctor right after being involved in a crash, you can collect valuable evidence that proves the extent of your injuries and how it may affect your life. It can also increase your chances of receiving fair compensation for the harm you endured as a result of your motor vehicle crash.
After seeking medical treatment, your next step is to contact a personal injury lawyer which I write about in my blog Seeking a Personal Injury Lawyer After Your Collision outlining important questions you should ask. Hiring a personal injury lawyer to take care of your motor vehicle claim is critical as you need to look after yourself physically, emotionally and financially while you recover.
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S. Dawne McKay is a survivor of a horrific crash that changed her life forever. Dawne shares her personal journey as a Crash Survivor Blogger and also collaborates with crash survivors as Guest Bloggers allowing them an opportunity to share their stories. Dawne is also the author of the book, “Talk Crash to Me – What to Expect After Surviving a Collision and How to Manage Your Recovery” which is available for purchase on Amazon.
The Crash Support Network is a unique one-of-a-kind website consisting of an online support group, a crash survivor blog, a quarterly newsletter, “Sharing Our Recovery” as well as highly informative articles. Our website is based on relationship-building and puts the needs of survivors first by creating a helpful resource for victims and survivors of motor vehicle crashes.
