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After you have been involved in an auto accident, you may be wondering what to do next. Where should you take your vehicle to get it repaired? Should you seek to have your vehicle declared a “total loss?” Do you need to go to the doctor? Should you hire a Fort Myers accident attorney at Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., to represent you? 

It is very important for you to make informed decisions about your next steps; however, we know that doing so is easier said than done. In this article, we are focusing specifically on the medical aspects of dealing with the aftermath of an auto accident. As discussed below, we always encourage harmed drivers and passengers to seek medical treatment after a collision. There are several reasons why—including reasons related to protecting your health and protecting your legal rights.

7 Important Reasons to Seek Medical Care After an Auto Accident

Among all of the decisions you need to make in the aftermath of an auto accident, deciding whether to see a doctor is easily among the most important. Here are seven reasons why you should always see a doctor—if you feel you might be injured:

1. Traumatic Injuries Do Not Always Have Immediate Symptoms

One of the most important reasons to seek medical care after an auto accident is that traumatic injuries do not always have immediate symptoms. In other words, you might be injured and not know it. Adrenaline can mask the symptoms of traumatic injuries, and sometimes, it simply takes time for symptoms to develop.

As a result, even if you initially feel fine, this does not necessarily mean that everything is okay. The forces involved in auto accidents are significant—even at relatively low speeds. They can be more than enough to cause various types of injuries. With this in mind, while it may seem that you have made it through the accident unscathed, there is also a very real possibility that you have suffered physical trauma that requires medical care.

2. Traumatic Injuries Do Not Always Have External Signs

It is equally important to note that traumatic injuries do not always have external signs. For example, when auto accident victims suffer internal bleeding or organ damage, everything might look okay, but they might still need emergency medical attention.

Soft tissue injuries, broken bones, and other types of traumatic injuries also will not have external signs in many cases—at least not right away. However, internal symptoms such as pain, limited mobility, and bowel or bladder dysfunction can all potentially be signs of serious accident-related injuries.

3. Prompt Treatment Can Be Critical for Preventing (or Mitigating) Long-Term Complications

With many types of accident-related injuries, prompt treatment can be critical for preventing (or at least mitigating) long-term complications. The longer you wait to seek treatment, the more likely it is that you will experience lingering—and potentially permanent—effects.

Broken bones are a good example. In many cases, promptly resetting and stabilizing a broken bone will be essential for ensuring that it heals properly. If a bone starts to heal while it is out of place, or if it cannot heal because it is out of place, this could lead to chronic pain, physical limitations, and other long-term or permanent consequences.

4. The Sooner You Begin Treatment, the Sooner You Will Be Able to Recover

Whether treatment involves rest and rehabilitation or undergoing surgery, unnecessary delays can prolong the recovery process. They can also increase the risk of (or severity of) long-term or permanent complications in some cases. If you have been injured in an auto accident, you owe it to yourself to give yourself the best chance at a full and speedy recovery.

5. You Will Need Documentation of Your Injuries to Seek Just Compensation

Shifting focus, seeking medical treatment promptly after an auto accident is also important for protecting your legal rights. If you have a personal injury claim for your auto accident, you will need documentation of your injuries to seek the compensation you deserve. Your medical records can serve as evidence in support of your personal injury claim—but only if they clearly show that your injuries are accident-related.

6. If You Wait to Seek Treatment, This Could Compromise Your Claim

If you wait to seek treatment, not only could this compromise your physical recovery, but it could potentially compromise your financial recovery as well. When it comes to filing a personal injury claim, delays in seeking medical treatment can potentially lead to:

• The insurance companies denying coverage because you cannot prove that you are injured is a common insurance defense tactic, and these types of denials (or partial denials) are not justified in all cases. But, if you need to seek financial compensation for your auto accident, you do not want to do anything that makes recovering your losses any harder than necessary.

7. There is No Harm in Getting Checked Out

What if you do not actually need treatment? What if you really did make it through your auto accident unscathed? Even in this scenario, there is no harm in getting checked by a medical professional. If you do not need treatment, receiving a clean bill of health from your doctor will allow you to move forward confidently and without fear that you might be worsening an unknown injury or compromising your legal rights.

Injured in a Collision? Contact Us for a Free Consultation with a Fort Myers Accident Attorney

At Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., we help auto accident victims in Florida seek full compensation for their accident-related losses. If you have been injured in an auto accident, we may be able to help you—but it is important that you take action promptly. To discuss your legal rights with Fort Myers accident attorney Randall L. Spivey in a free and confidential consultation, give us a call at (239) 337-7483 or toll-free at 888-477-4839, or tell us how we can reach you online at SpiveyLaw.com today.