Car accidents can be traumatic and anxiety producing. This being said, it is still extremely important for you to complete multiple steps before going home after an accident. One of these steps is visiting your primary health care professional.
It is important to go to the doctor even if you have extremely minimal symptoms, personal injuries are possible even if you didn’t feel injured right after the accident. Sometimes adrenaline overrides feelings of pain that accompany a personal injury after the trauma of a car accident. Symptoms such as numbness, dizziness, or pain can start days or weeks after the car accident.
In cases where symptoms show up much after the car accident, it is still very important to seek medical attention. Although as you wait longer it gets more difficult to directly attribute your injury to a car accident, it is never impossible. Many people think minor pain after an accident is “normal” or will go away quickly so they ignore it or try to “sleep it off.” However, as these injuries go untreated, they become harder to treat at all and it becomes harder for a car accident lawyer to prove that they occurred because of a car accident. Do not wait for your symptoms to get worse, just get checked out right after the accident.
Before you see the doctor, or as you are seeing the doctor, make sure to visually document your personal injuries. Take pictures of any swelling, bruises, or cuts with whatever camera you have; smart phone camera pictures are totally acceptable. Also make sure to document your visit to the doctor after your car accident. Keep your doctor’s notes about the visit and or prescriptions with the date on them so that it cannot be disputed. It is also important to keep all of your medical bills. If you do decide to file a lawsuit for your personal injury, your car accident lawyer will need to all of the documentation. The medical bills are important to keep so that you know exactly how much you can be reimbursed. Your car insurance company may also need your medical bills as evidence.
If you have children in the car with you when you get into a car accident, it is imperative to have them examined immediately after. Young children especially cannot always accurately communicate their feelings, or may be scared, so you may not know if they are injured. Car accidents are the leading cause of caused disabilities for people under 18. Even if there is no apparent personal injury, or the child thinks that he or she is completely fine, the symptoms might just not be apparent yet. Similarly as for adults, make sure to take pictures of injuries and keep medical receipts in case of a lawsuit. If a child was injured, you should probably involve a car accident lawyer.
After you return home from visiting your healthcare professional after a car accident, it is often important to contact a car accident lawyer. Even if you do not think you will file a lawsuit, its important to know your options.