If I don't feel injured after an automobile accident, do I have to see a doctor?
Car crashes can result in devastating injuries that can prevent you from performing normal activities. Automobile accidents caused over 4.5 million injuries in 2019, resulting in $463 billion in expenses. Common injuries that happen after car crashes include whiplash, back injuries, traumatic brain injuries, internal injuries, broken bones, and spinal cord injuries. After your accident, it is recommended that you see a doctor to get treated for all your wounds. Here are some of the reasons why you should get a physical exam after your car crash.
You Might Have Soft Tissue Injuries
A common culprit of chronic pain is soft tissue injuries that appear days to weeks after you’ve been injured. This is when your tendons, ligaments, and other soft tissues are damaged, but you don’t feel the pain or notice that you’ve been harmed at all. Sometimes, it is because of an adrenaline rush that masks the pain at first. When you get into an accident, your body can start pumping adrenaline, increasing your blood flow and making you breathe harder. This can temporarily prevent you from feeling pain after you’ve been in a car crash. However, you may feel soreness the next day. Other soft tissue injuries may happen after the overuse of the damaged body part. If a ligament was partially damaged due to a car accident and you decide to work, the ligament can break down a week later because it was worn out on top of being injured. It is harder to prove that your injuries are linked to your car accident if you don’t discover them soon afterward.
Medical Bills Also Provide Evidence
Once you’ve gotten checked out by a doctor, you can receive a diagnosis, medicine, and other treatment to help you recover. You may have to return for ongoing visits, receive physical therapy and other remedies. The medical bills you receive help document your expenses and can be used as physical evidence to show the type of damages you have. This is why it is a good idea to see the doctor, even if you have bumps or scratches. Your doctor can vouch for the type of injuries you have.
If you wait too long to get medical treatment, linking any injuries to your accident can be more difficult. You may think you’re not injured and discover you have whiplash later on, but the other party may counter your claim and say that it wasn’t because of your accident because you didn’t receive treatment immediately.
Your Medical Bills Can Be Reimbursed
Even if you think you aren’t injured, it doesn’t hurt to get a doctor’s input. Your medical bills can be fully reimbursed through a settlement claim at a later date.
After I See A Doctor, What Do I Do Next?
If your doctor has treated your injuries, you can then speak with an attorney to help you move forward with your settlement claim. Working with a personal injury lawyer can help you receive damages for lost wages, property damage, and non-economic damages. For more information, you can learn more at https://www.agrusslawfirm.com/chicago-car-accident-lawyer/
Featured Image by Darwin Laganzon from Pixabay
