Visiting a Doctor After Car Accident
If you or somebody you love has been involved in a vehicle accident, you should go to the doctor as soon as possible. We encourage all accident victims to go to the doctor the same day the incident occurs, regardless of whether or not there are any major signs or symptoms of injuries.
It is not uncommon for injury signs and symptoms to appear hours or even days after the incident occurs, but seeking prompt medical attention can help uncover any hidden trauma that may have happened.
Which Doctor Do You See and What do You Say?
After a car accident occurs, there should be no doubt about going to see a doctor. We understand that the immediate aftermath of the incident may be confusing, and you may not even feel any pain, but going to a doctor is crucial. But which doctor do you see?
The day of the incident, the most important factor is getting seen by a healthcare professional either at the emergency room or at an emergency clinic. This will likely not be your primary care physician, and we encourage you not to wait for an appointment with your primary care physician. You need medical treatment, not only for your well-being but also to start a paper trail leading from the incident to the symptoms you develop after the incident.
If you see a doctor at the emergency room or at a local emergency clinic, it is a certainty that they will have you follow up with your primary care physician. If you have a primary care physician, go ahead and make an appointment on the day of your accident. Let your primary care physician know what happened and that you would like to be seen as soon as possible. There are benefits to seeing your primary care physician in these circumstances because this can help establish you are prior injuries or illnesses compared to any new injuries you sustained due to the car accident.
Continue All Doctor Follow-Up Requests
If you do not have a primary care physician currently, you still need to set up a follow-up appointment with the doctor. Ask the emergency room or emergency care physician for their recommendations, and make sure to follow through with the follow-up visits.
If you fail to continue the treatments your doctor recommends, or if you skip your follow-up appointments, this will likely be taken as a sign by the insurance carriers or the at-fault party that you have no serious injuries. Skipping follow-up appointments and ignoring medical advice could lead to a lower settlement offer or even an entire claim denial.
Working With an Attorney
We encourage you to work with an attorney after an accident occurs so that you have the best chance of recovering the compensation you need to get through this. Your car accident attorney will be able to advise you on the best steps to take. They will help you understand why it is important to see a doctor and continue medical treatments, and they may even call in trusted medical experts to perform additional evaluations in order to prepare for settlement negotiations or a jury trial.
The goal of seeking medical treatment and moving forward with the claim is to recover compensation for your losses after the vehicle accident. This includes compensation for medical bills, any lost wages you incur, property damage expenses, and pain and suffering damages.