In short, yes, you should always get medical attention after a car accident, even if you don’t think it was that serious. When you see a medical professional after an accident you’re not only attending to your health and any potential non-obvious injuries, but you’re also protecting your legal rights to compensation. Documenting any injuries early on in the process is imperative to proving they are accident related.
Even if you’ve waited to see a doctor but feel you are experiencing accident related injuries, immediately seek medical attention and then call an experienced Philadelphia car accident attorney. They can help you prove your injuries are legitimate and get you the compensation you deserve.
Understanding Car Accident Injuries
Immediately after an accident, most people are disoriented and struggle to comprehend what’s going on. The events of the accident may seem confusing and unclear, and any serious injuries may be masked by adrenaline and shock. Even if you don’t feel injured after an accident, it’s important to get a check up by a medical professional. You may start to experience pain once the adrenaline wears off, or after a few days when more serious injuries start to appear.
It can also be to your advantage to keep detailed records of the accident, events leading up to it, injuries, medical records, and treatments as evidence for your case. Memories can be faulty, or you may experience some accident related amnesia. Keeping a log and writing things down as you go will ensure you don’t forget any important details.
The Following Are Some of the Common Car Accident Injuries:
- Concussion
- Brain bleeds
- Traumatic brain injury (which is one of the most common causes of disability and death in adults)
- Whiplash
- Internal bleeding
- Spinal cord injuries
- Soft tissue injuries
- Broken bones
- Bruises, cuts, burns
It’s important to understand these injuries range from minor to life threatening, can be expensive to treat, and oftentimes the symptoms appear days or weeks after an accident. Waiting to see a medical professional can delay your healing, result in long term injury or death, and make it harder to prove your pain and suffering is accident related.
Statute of Limitations In Pennsylvania
In the state of Pennsylvania, a victim of a car accident has two years to file a personal injury claim or car accident lawsuit starting from the date of the accident. Insurance companies however, have different rules when it comes to accidents and claims. You should check with your insurance company regarding their requirements, but in most cases they consider 72 hours as a reasonable amount of time for you to get to a doctor. Waiting any longer risks getting proper reimbursement or compensation and suggests you did not sustain serious injuries or your injuries were not accident related.
Contact An Experienced and Aggressive Car Accident Lawyer
In order to succeed in a personal injury claim, or car accident lawsuit, you will have to prove the injuries you’re seeking compensation for are directly related to the accident. Your best chance at that is seeking medical attention right away. The longer you wait, the more likely the at fault party will argue your injuries were not caused by the accident but by something that happened to you after the case. It’s not a good idea to try and take on the insurance companies alone. You’ll need an experienced and aggressive car accident lawyer to defend your case and get you the compensation you deserve.