Many people don't seek medical attention immediately after a car accident for many reasons.
It could be due to the shock of the car accident, the adrenaline that's rushing through your body immediately after, or just not having a good sense as to what might be in pain.
Some individuals do feel pain immediately, but they assume the pain will go away on its own eventually, so they don't get checked out by a medical professional.
Then some people find everything to be too much of a hassle or feel like they need to get back to work right away.
However, after a car accident, delaying any medical attention you need will only diminish your health as well as a potential personal injury case.
Making your already unfortunate situation even more of a misfortune.
In the article below, we will talk about how soon you should see a doctor after your car accident.
Want more information about when to see a chiropractor? Read our blog post: 6 Signs That It's Time to See a Doctor for Your Back Pain.
Table of Contents
- When To See A Doctor After A Car Accident
- What If I Feel Fine After The Accident?
- Traumatic Brain Injuries
- Soft Tissue Injuries
- Get Medical Attention Right Away
- Have You Been Injured In A Car Accident?
When to See a Doctor After a Car Accident
If the severity of your injuries is not enough to get you to see a doctor right away, the process the insurance companies use to determine compensation should be.
While you will likely be in touch with a claims adjuster, most of the insurance adjusting will be done by a computer program being fed data about your accident and injuries.
An essential piece of data that could increase your odds of recovering fair settlement is whether you sought medical attention immediately following the accident.
Most insurance companies consider 72 hours to be a reasonable amount of time. This means that for insurance purposes, you have 72 hours to see a doctor before you risk an enormous reduction in the compensation you are eligible to receive.
If you can't get in with your primary care physician within 72 hours, you should try some alternatives.
One popular option is to go to an urgent care clinic where you can be seen right away. You may pay more out-of-pocket for an appointment at one of these clinics than you would with your regular doctor, but you can submit the bill to the insurer for compensation.
For insurance purposes, seeing a chiropractor within the first 72 hours is generally treated the same as seeing a doctor. Also, many personal injury chiropractors will work with your attorney on a lien so there is not any out of pocket costs.
What If I Feel Fine After The Accident?
While some injuries are immediately apparent after a car accident, others can take some time to show up.
This does not mean you should wait to see a doctor until they show up, but it does mean that you may want to go back for a follow-up when you start to notice symptoms you didn't feel before.
Some of the most common injuries that may not be apparent at first are brain injuries and soft tissue injuries, like whiplash and back pain.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
A concussion, a type of traumatic brain injury, occurs when the brain receives trauma.
With car accidents, this often happens when the head jerks forward and the brain hits the inside of the skull, even if there was no direct impact to the head.
Because car accidents are usually at least somewhat disorienting, some patients may not realize they are experiencing concussion symptoms, which can include:
- Nausea
- Headache
- Balance issues
- Ringing in the ears
- Dizziness
- Confusion
- Amnesia
- Seeing stars
- Momentary loss of consciousness
If you saw a doctor but did not discuss the possibility of a concussion, do not hesitate to follow up with another appointment.
Soft Tissue Injuries
Another issue that can go undiagnosed for even longer is a soft tissue injury. These injuries affect the muscles, tendons, ligaments, and other soft tissues in the body. If left untreated, they can cause terrible pain and even mobility issues.
Soft tissue injuries will not show up on an x-ray. That means even if you have already undergone an x-ray, you could have additional injuries lurking under the skin that your doctor did not notice.
Symptoms may not show up for a few days, and can not be identified by the naked eye, so if you have experienced new symptoms after your initial doctor visit, you should go back for another appointment.
Your chiropractor will be able to get any soft tissue injuries diagnosed then.
Get Medical Attention Right Away
Just because soft tissue injuries, concussions, and other types of injuries may take days to become apparent, it does not mean that you should wait to see a doctor.
You can always go back if you experience new symptoms and submit your additional bills to your insurance for compensation.
The most important thing is that you get that first visit within the first 72 hours for insurance purposes.
It is better to see a doctor multiple times than to lose out on the full amount of compensation you need and deserve for your injuries.
However, even if you waited longer to seek medical treatment, you could still recover compensation for your car accident injuries.
Have You Been Injured in a Car Wreck?
If you need to seek medical attention but aren't sure where to start, you should contact a personal injury lawyer to get answers to all of your questions for free.
Car Wreck Doctor has a simple mission, and that is to connect you with doctors, chiropractors, and Personal Injury Attorneys that are trusted in your local area.
They offer free consultations and can help you get started on your car accident claim immediately.
They will also make sure you get the medical attention you need.
To make sure you get the settlement that belongs to you, click the button below to speak with a chiropractor at Car Wreck Doctor today.