Car accidents often lead to both minor and devastating injuries. Although many seek medical treatment after a car accident, especially when suffering from serious injuries, people are often unsure how long to continue seeing a doctor.
Additionally, some victims of car accidents who may only suffer from minor injuries may be unsure whether to even seek medical treatment. If you experienced a vehicular accident, you need to know when to seek medical attention, and you also need to know why it’s critical to receive treatment promptly.
When Should I See a Doctor After a Car Accident?
Regardless of the severity of your injuries after a car accident, you need to go see a doctor as soon as possible. Some injuries are more apparent and serious than others, such as broken bones or lacerations, but even minor or delayed onset injuries—meaning you don’t experience immediate symptoms after the accident—need to be checked out by a medical professional.
The most important reason for visiting a doctor after a car accident is your long-term health, but there is also another critical reason: insurance claims. In order to recover fair compensation from an insurance company, you need to seek medical attention within 72 hours of your accident. Otherwise, insurance companies can significantly reduce the amount you’ll receive for insurance. If you fail to seek medical attention within 72 hours, insurance companies will determine that your immediate or delayed onset injuries are not severe because you didn’t receive prompt treatment.
In the event that you can’t see your primary care physician within the 72-hour window, consider visiting an urgent care clinic to prove to the insurance company that the injuries you sustained deserve proper compensation. Alternatively, you could visit a chiropractor because insurance companies regard chiropractor visits as consulting with a doctor.
Delayed Onset Injuries
Not all injuries are immediately apparent after suffering from a car accident. You should go see a doctor within 72 hours of your car accident, and you should also have follow-up visits to address potential delayed onset injuries.
Sometimes initial treatment may not reveal the extent of your injuries. A doctor may diagnose you with a soft-tissue injury, but subsequent diagnostic tools such as an MRI or CT scan may reveal a more devastating injury. For example, disc injuries can be incredibly serious, but medical professionals do not always detect them immediately. X-ray scans typically don’t reveal herniated discs, so you need to schedule follow-up appointments to gauge the full extent of your injuries.
Additionally, you may not realize that some injuries resulted from your accident. People sometimes develop carpal tunnel syndrome for a wreck, but they fail to realize that the carpal tunnel developed from tightly gripping their steering wheel during the accident. They may not realize that they could recover compensation for their condition.
You need to continue receiving medical treatment to address the full extent of your wreck-induced injuries. Otherwise, you may not receive the entire compensation you’re entitled to.
Don’t Delay In Receiving Medical Treatment
Even if you receive initial treatment for your injuries, you need to continue seeing your doctor consistently to address all accident-related injuries. If there’s a notable gap in between your medical treatments, insurance companies may say that there wasn’t a link between your injury and the car accident. Additionally, missing or delaying a scheduled doctor’s appointment may give an insurance company an excuse to deny or underpay your medical compensation.
In addition to scheduling and keeping regular appointments, you should also make sure to keep documentation related to the onset of your injuries in order to prove that you’re seeking medical attention because of injuries sustained from your car accident.
Contact an Indiana Car Accident Attorney
If you were injured in a wreck, you need to seek both medical attention and legal guidance. A car accident lawyer can help you recover compensation for the expenses related to your wreck including vehicle damages, medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more. Car accident attorneys can also ensure you recover the full medical and recovery expenses you’re entitled to from an insurance company. Insurance companies look for ways to deny or underpay medical coverage, so you need an expert attorney at your side so that you receive full compensation.
Indiana residents can contact Crossen Law Firm for expert car accident and personal injury attorneys. We’ve helped numerous Indiana residents receive the compensation they deserved from their wreck. For legal assistance, contact our office at 317-401-8626. You can also contact us online here.
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