Why You Should Always Seek Medical Treatment After A Car Accident

Vehicle accidents can be terrifying experiences. The main priorities after a vehicle accident are safety and the health and well-being of those involved. You will often see resources state the importance of seeking medical care after being involved in a vehicle accident, and we want to reiterate that importance. Seeking medical treatment can make a significant difference not only in your health and well-being but also when it comes to your settlement for compensation.

Your Health is the Priority

After a vehicle accident occurs, the number one priority is the health and well-being of those involved in the incident. If there are any immediate injuries, 911 should be called, and an ambulance needs to come to the scene to conduct an evaluation and take victims to the hospital. 

However, even if there are seemingly no immediate injuries that need rapid treatment, we strongly encourage individuals involved in a crash to go to an emergency clinic for the hospital for an evaluation.

Becoming Aware of Hidden Injuries

One complication that is not uncommon after a vehicle accident revolves around hidden injuries. Sometimes, the signs and symptoms of a vehicle accident injury do not appear until hours or even days after the incident occurs. These delayed signs and symptoms often occur with head injuries, whiplash, and even internal bleeding or internal organ damage.

One of the main reasons we encourage people to seek medical care right after a vehicle accident is so that a doctor can conduct an evaluation and be on the lookout for any of these hidden injuries. Sometimes, medical tests and an evaluation can help uncover these injuries before a person even realizes they have been harmed. This can help a person obtain prompt medical treatment to help prevent further harm from occurring.

Insurance Carriers are Watching

You can rest assured that insurance carriers will be watching when a person seeks medical care after an accident occurs. This is going to occur no matter who is ultimately found liable for the incident, but that person will come under particular scrutiny if they are filing a claim against another party to recover compensation. 

Any delay in medical care from the time the accident occurred could be used as the reason for the insurance carrier to delay or even deny the claim altogether. Going to the doctor right away after an accident helps establish a strong link between the incident and any eventual injuries that need compensation.

Continued Care Helps With Recovery

Sometimes, individuals start to feel better and decide they no longer need to continue their medical care. This can include discontinuing follow-up visits or discontinuing the use of any recommended medical devices.

If you have an ongoing claim, whether this is an insurance claim against another party or a civil personal injury lawsuit, you need to continue all medical treatment recommended by the doctor. Discontinuing care early or against the advice of medical professionals could be used by the insurance carriers or legal teams for the at-fault party. These other parties could decide to offer less compensation, or they could deny the claim altogether.

If you have any questions about medical treatment after a vehicle accident, we encourage you to reach out to a skilled car accident lawyer in Lexington who can walk you through the process and help you make the best decisions moving forward. Your Lexington personal injury lawyer can also help you recover the compensation you need if another party caused your accident.