If you've been in a car accident and are feeling any indication that
you've been injured -- maybe it just feels like something isn't "right"
overall, or with a specific part of your body -- you should go to the
emergency room and get checked out, or see your doctor as soon as
possible. In this article, we'll explore both the medical and legal
reasons for getting necessary medical care after a car accident.
Even if you were only in a low-speed collision in which neither car was significantly damaged, that doesn't mean you don't need to worry about injuries. In side impact collisions, you can hit your head on the door frame or the window, and you may not even realize it happened. A rear-impact collision can cause sudden and violent torsion to your head and neck. Any blow to the head or trauma to the upper spine can be serious, especailly when caused by a car accident, when you may not have time to brace yourself for impact. Bottom line: If you don’t feel right after a car accident, get yourself checked out.
What some people may not realize is that chemicals in the body can mask pain and discomfort for a certain amount of time after a high-stress incident like a car accident. So, pay attention to what your body is telling you in the hours and days after a car accident. It may take a while for injuries to manifest themselves. And get medical attention if there's any indication that something isn't right.
But car accidents can also result in other forms of soft tissue injuries, headaches, and other types of injuries that may not be accompanied by any visible symptoms. Learn more about Common Car Accident Injuries.
Many car accidents cause symptoms immediately after the accident. But as we touched on in the previous section, it is not uncommon for a person who has been in a car accident to feel fine immediately afterward and not have any symptoms for a day or two.
Unfortunately, the answer is that, for better or for worse, insurance companies generally assume that, if you did not seek medical attention immediately, you weren’t that hurt -- or possibly you weren’t injured at all. Insurers have standard criteria that they use to evaluate all types of car accidents, and one of those criteria is how promptly you sought and received medical treatment after the accident.
Insurers feel that the more time that passes between the car accident and the initial treatment, the likelier it is that the claimant or plaintiff could be faking or at least exaggerating the extent of their injuries, in order to "milk" more out of the claim. Insurers also know that, if you go directly from the accident scene to the hospital, then at least nothing else could have happened immediately after the car accident to explain your injuries. Insurers worry that, if you have a car accident on Tuesday, but your records show that you did not receive any medical treatment until Saturday, you might have hurt yourself fixing the roof or working out on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. You might think that that is a ridiculous assertion. Maybe the explanation is that you really were hurt, but you couldn’t afford to miss work. But how can you prove that you didn’t hurt yourself working out? It is impossible to disprove a negative.
This is how not going to the hospital or to the doctor as soon as possible after a car accident can hurt your case and become a legal issue. So, the best course of action, if you feel even the slightest pain or discomfort after a car accident -- or you just feel somehow "not right" -- go to the doctor and get yourself checked out.
Medical Reasons for Getting Treatment After a Car Accident
This part is pretty simple. Nothing trumps your health and well-being. Car accidents are serious shocks to the system. Our bodies weren't meant to sustain the amount of force and impact that most car accidents generate.Even if you were only in a low-speed collision in which neither car was significantly damaged, that doesn't mean you don't need to worry about injuries. In side impact collisions, you can hit your head on the door frame or the window, and you may not even realize it happened. A rear-impact collision can cause sudden and violent torsion to your head and neck. Any blow to the head or trauma to the upper spine can be serious, especailly when caused by a car accident, when you may not have time to brace yourself for impact. Bottom line: If you don’t feel right after a car accident, get yourself checked out.
What some people may not realize is that chemicals in the body can mask pain and discomfort for a certain amount of time after a high-stress incident like a car accident. So, pay attention to what your body is telling you in the hours and days after a car accident. It may take a while for injuries to manifest themselves. And get medical attention if there's any indication that something isn't right.
What Types of Injuries Can Car Accidents Cause?
The area of the body that is most often affected by a car accident is the spinal column (the neck and back) which includes the muscles supporting the spinal column. The most common neck and back injuries from car accidents are whiplash-type over-extension injuries, muscle and ligament strains and sprains, and disc injuries. So you want to be on the lookout for any stiffness or numbness in your neck and upper back, any issues with range of motion, and of course any twinges of pain and discomfort in that area.But car accidents can also result in other forms of soft tissue injuries, headaches, and other types of injuries that may not be accompanied by any visible symptoms. Learn more about Common Car Accident Injuries.
Many car accidents cause symptoms immediately after the accident. But as we touched on in the previous section, it is not uncommon for a person who has been in a car accident to feel fine immediately afterward and not have any symptoms for a day or two.
How Lack of Medical Treatment Can Become a Legal Issue
If you've been in a car accident, especailly if it was obviously someone else's fault, you may be wondering, "Why should my medical treatment be a legal issue? Why is it the insurance company’s business when or how often I go to the doctor or the hospital?"Unfortunately, the answer is that, for better or for worse, insurance companies generally assume that, if you did not seek medical attention immediately, you weren’t that hurt -- or possibly you weren’t injured at all. Insurers have standard criteria that they use to evaluate all types of car accidents, and one of those criteria is how promptly you sought and received medical treatment after the accident.
Insurers feel that the more time that passes between the car accident and the initial treatment, the likelier it is that the claimant or plaintiff could be faking or at least exaggerating the extent of their injuries, in order to "milk" more out of the claim. Insurers also know that, if you go directly from the accident scene to the hospital, then at least nothing else could have happened immediately after the car accident to explain your injuries. Insurers worry that, if you have a car accident on Tuesday, but your records show that you did not receive any medical treatment until Saturday, you might have hurt yourself fixing the roof or working out on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. You might think that that is a ridiculous assertion. Maybe the explanation is that you really were hurt, but you couldn’t afford to miss work. But how can you prove that you didn’t hurt yourself working out? It is impossible to disprove a negative.
This is how not going to the hospital or to the doctor as soon as possible after a car accident can hurt your case and become a legal issue. So, the best course of action, if you feel even the slightest pain or discomfort after a car accident -- or you just feel somehow "not right" -- go to the doctor and get yourself checked out.
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