If you’ve ever been involved in a Fender Bender or another relatively minor car accident, you might have been tempted to simply go on with your life without medical intervention or unnecessary paperwork. But it’s almost always a good idea to have medical attention after a car accident, even a relatively minor one.
Why is this the case? And how should you handle it?
The Mask of Adrenaline
First, you should understand that adrenaline and the excitement of the collision might mask any symptoms you might otherwise feel from your injuries. Adrenaline is a hormone that’s typically released in response to a dangerous or unexpected situation, and it has a number of effects on the body and mind. If you have adrenaline coursing through your veins, you may not feel the pain from a broken arm, or you may not be able to recognize that you’ve suffered from whiplash.
Similarly, you might be so focused on the accident and its immediate aftermath that you’re not aware or thinking about your own injuries. Accordingly, it’s a good idea to undergo a physical examination by a medical professional, so you can identify anything that might be affecting your body.
The Legal Ramifications
According to the experts at R. Alan Cleveland, LLC., it’s important to seek medical attention after a car accident for legal reasons as well. Let’s say you decide to sue the driver responsible for the accident for negligence. Hypothetically, they would be responsible for any damages that occurred as a direct result of their negligent conduct.
However, your compensation can be complicated if you don’t seek medical attention right away. For starters, you might not be able to recover for medical damages that you didn’t actually incur. If you don’t have any hospital bills initially, you may not be able to recover for medical expenses that exist only in imaginary territory.
On top of that, victims have a duty to tend to their own injuries with reasonable care. If you don’t go to the hospital and your lack of medical attention makes some of your injuries worse, you may not be able to recover on those damages.
Even worse, delaying a hospital visit could lead to a problem in causation. Imagine that you break an arm in a car accident, but the next day, you trip on the stairs. A good legal defense might point out that the exact cause of your broken arm is in question.
Personal injury cases can be quite valuable for lawyers and plaintiffs alike. But if you want to maximize your damages, you need to seek medical attention as soon as possible.
Hospital or Imminent Appointment?
For most victims of car accidents, the best course of action is to go to the hospital right away. However, if the car accident is very minor, or if you have a good reason to believe that you have no injuries, you might be able to skip the hospital and simply make an appointment with your primary care physician within the next day or two.
Best Practices for Post-Accident Care
If you’ve been in a car accident, no matter how minor it is, you should do the following:
- Act with urgency. As we’ve already stated, you need to act with urgency when it comes to getting medical care. If you decide not to go to the hospital, make an appointment to schedule an appointment immediately.
- Keep thorough documents. Whatever you do, keep thorough documentation of all your medical expenses. Keep records of all your hospital visits and appointments, as well as documentation for any prescription medications and other medical expenses you incur.
- Follow all advice. Just as you need to visit a hospital or doctor’s office after the accident as soon as possible, you need to follow all medical advice. Remember, you’re responsible for taking reasonable care with regard to your own injuries.
- Attend all follow-up appointments. Similarly, attend all your follow-up appointments. Don’t stop going just because you’ve started feeling better.
- Rest. Rest is one of your best tools for recovering from an accident. Get as much rest and sleep as you can, and avoid any unnecessary strenuous activities.
- Take care of your mental health as well. Being in a car accident can be mentally traumatizing in addition to physically harmful. Accordingly, you should make your mental health a priority as well.
Car accidents range from forgettable to deadly, but they always require us to act deliberately and with care. After a car accident, you owe it to yourself to go to the hospital or get to a doctor as soon as possible – even if it doesn’t feel like you’ve been hurt.
