Seek immediate medical attention right after a car crash. Medical providers can treat your obvious injuries and diagnose those that have not started causing pain or other symptoms. Getting prompt treatment will improve your recovery and protect your right to get money for your car accident losses.
After a car accident, you may only want to go home or see your loved ones to feel safe. Going to the doctor may never cross your mind. But you should still seek care as soon as possible.
How Long After the Accident Do I Have to See a Doctor?
Although you should see a doctor as you can after a car accident, that does not mean you need to immediately rush to the emergency room or urgent care– especially if you don’t have any visible injuries or signs of a severe injury. If you prefer, you can see your primary care physician for an examination to check for any injuries you may have suffered in the accident.
However, you should not wait too long to seek medical care after a crash. Many insurance companies recommend getting checked by a healthcare professional for injuries within 72 hours of a car accident. If you don’t, they may try to deny your claim for compensation.
Are There Injuries That Might Not Show Up Until Days Later?
Many injuries caused by car accidents do not have immediate signs or symptoms, including many internal injuries. The shocking nature of a car accident can trigger the “fight-or-flight” reflex that releases adrenaline and other body chemicals to hide pain or discomfort from injuries.
However, the effects of these chemicals wear off as you calm down in the days following an accident. This allows you to begin feeling symptoms of an injury. You may also accidentally aggravate minor injuries you sustained in a car accident by not seeking treatment and continuing to use the injured part of the body.
Examples of injuries that can have delayed signs and symptoms include:
- Hairline bone fractures
- Ligament sprains
- Muscle and tendon strains
- Whiplash
- Herniated spinal discs
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Internal organ damage or internal bleeding
Will Visiting a Doctor Help Speed Up My Insurance Claim?
Seeking immediate medical attention and promptly beginning treatment after a car accident can help make the insurance claims process go more smoothly. By documenting the injuries you’ve suffered in an accident, you can provide the insurance company with the information it needs to begin processing your claim and evaluating the amount of compensation and benefits to offer you.
Many insurance claims get delayed or denied due to a lack of medical information. Your doctor can also advise the insurance company on what treatment and rehabilitation you will need for your injuries, allowing the insurer to authorize payment for that treatment before or as you need the treatment. Having pre-authorizations will avoid the risk of delaying procedures or care if your healthcare provider needs confirmation that the insurance company will reimburse them.
Can Visiting the Doctor Help with a Car Accident Lawsuit?
Getting prompt medical care and treatment for injuries can also help you more effectively pursue compensation in a car accident lawsuit. Obtaining a diagnosis of your injuries right after a car accident will help strengthen your claim that your injuries occurred due to the accident rather than in another way.
Your treating physician could also support your compensation claim for future medical expenses or loss of future wages or earning capacity. They can help with your legal case by providing expert reports and opinion testimony regarding:
- The cause of your injuries
- Your prognosis, physical disabilities, or limitations you might suffer
- Temporary and permanent restrictions on your ability to work
- Future medical care you will need after settling your claim or winning a lawsuit
- If I Do Not See a Doctor, Can It Hurt My Legal Claim?
Not seeing the doctor or delaying treatment of injuries you suffered in a car accident can negatively affect your car accident lawsuit. Waiting more than a few days after a car accident to see a doctor may weaken the time-based connection between the accident and your injuries. This might give the at-fault driver or insurance company grounds to argue for a different cause of your injuries, such as aggravation of pre-existing injuries, degenerative wear-and-tear, or a subsequent accident or trauma.
Delaying treatment for injuries also risks worsening your injuries due to lack of care and continued use of the injured body part. If you worsen a car accident injury, you may need longer or more intensive care than if you had promptly started treatment. An at-fault driver or insurance company may argue that they shouldn’t bear liability for the whole cost of your medical treatment since you increased that cost by not getting treatment as soon as possible.
How Long Do I Have to File a Car Accident Claim in Georgia?
Under Georgia’s statute of limitations on injury claims, you usually have two years after a car accident to file a lawsuit against the at-fault driver and other liable parties. Filing a lawsuit after the limitations period runs out on your car accident claim may lead to the court dismissing your case regardless of the merits of your claim. Given the deadline for filing your car accident claim, you can best protect your rights by speaking with a Georgia car accident lawyer as soon as possible so they can start preparing your case promptly.
Contact a Georgia Car Accident Lawyer
When you have been in a car accident in Georgia, contact Sherrod & Bernard, P.C., for a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss the next steps to protect your health and legal rights – such as seeing a doctor to begin treating your injuries. Our Georgia car accident lawyers can help you understand your options and what to expect when you pursue compensation in a car accident case. Let our firm fight for the financial recovery and justice you deserve after a life-altering car accident.
