Being involved in an accident—even one in which injuries are not immediately apparent—can be a frightening, traumatizing, and stressful experience. There are several steps to take after a car accident , one of which is a visit to your doctor’s office.
There are a few reasons why you should get yourself checked out by your doctor or another medical professional after being involved in a car accident. Read on to learn what these reasons are.
It’s common for injured accident victims not to feel extreme pain after being involved in an accident. The human body is incredible. Your brain can essentially block the pain of your injuries so that you have the mental and physical capacity to deal with the situation at hand.
When your body goes into shock, the pain receptors in your brain may be blocked so that you’re better able to handle the trauma from the accident.
As you are probably aware, American healthcare is wildly unaffordable—especially if your injuries are severe or require ongoing care. When you first get into an accident, especially if you don’t feel significantly injured, you may not assume that you’ll have costly medical bills as a result. However, many accident victims end up filing claims for medical expenses later on down the line.
Keep in mind that it will be extremely difficult to recover damages for medical costs without the proper medical documentation. You’ll at least need to prove the following:
Your claim to recover medical expenses may be denied if you wait too long after the accident to receive medical care. If your injuries are further exacerbated between the time of the accident and the time you receive care, it may be difficult to recover damages for your medical bills.
The reason recovering medical damages becomes so much more difficult in this situation is that the insurance company can say you were injured during the time between the accident and the time you went to the doctor, which relieves them of any duty to pay for your medical bills.
Even if the pain receptors in your brain are not blocked due to going into shock, certain ailments can take time to present themselves.
One such condition is whiplash. Many injured victims who endure whiplash feel the symptoms within 24 hours of the accident, but for others, it can take several days for the symptoms to manifest.
Keep in mind that not all of your injuries have to be physical. Many accident victims endure psychological trauma as well. Trauma can prompt feelings of depression, and when very severe, can also cause post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Studies show that approximately 25-33% of injured accident victims experience PTSD at least 30 days after a car accident. What’s more, is that 7.4% of people who experience PTSD symptoms, endure them for life, and the vast majority of these people with PTSD have it because of a car accident.
It’s for these reasons that you should seek medical care immediately following an accident, even if you don’t feel seriously injured.
If you’ve been injured in a car accident through no fault of your own, you may be owed compensation. Our attorneys here at Maaswinkel Law, P.A. are highly skilled in the area of car accident personal injury law and have helped many other people in similar situations obtain justice. Let us see if we can help you, too. Don’t delay— contact our office with your case right away to schedule your free initial consultation.
Call the Orlando lawyers at Maaswinkel Law, P.A. today at to speak with an accomplished attorney about your injury case.
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