Life after a car accident can be painful and confusing. Many people experience shock shortly after the crash, and the symptoms of this can cover up some of the physical injuries from an accident – injuries that may lead to a lawsuit. Read on to learn more about whether or not it makes sense to go to the doctor.

What Can a Doctor Do?

In the aftermath of an accident, you might feel slight pain or no pain at all. This, however, does not mean that you’re in the clear medically. Some symptoms from car accidents don’t show up right away.

For people who suffer from whiplash, for example, the pain in the neck and shoulders might not emerge until a few days later. The symptoms of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) can be hidden anywhere from a few hours to a few days. Going to the hospital to see a doctor after a car accident can increase the chances that proper screening is completed for these serious issues.

A doctor will know the right exams to use and diagnostic tests to complete to verify the type and severity of your injuries after an accident.

What if My Injuries Are Minor?

One of the most common reasons to skip seeing a doctor after a car accident is the perception that the injuries are minor or that the car accident isn’t serious. The truth, however, is that all car accident victims should seek medical attention for their safety and well-being following a crash.

Since the release of adrenaline in the body can mask more serious issues, you want to be sure that you haven’t suffered something more critical, like internal bleeding. Even for minor injuries, a doctor can help you get on the path to proactive treatment so that you can get ahead of the pain or potential long-term effects.

How Does Going to the Doctor Affect a Legal or Insurance Claim?

If you plan to bring a negligence claim against an at-fault driver for the injuries you sustained, you need to be able to show how your life was impacted by the crash and the proactive steps you took to get medical attention.

The medical records from going to see a doctor after a car accident are likely to become an important component of your request for compensation through the insurance company or within a lawsuit.

Plus many claims have time constraints on them. If you wait too long to go to the doctor, the insurance company might argue that your injuries were caused by something else or that you were making them up in an effort to fight for damage payments.

As an accident victim, you already have enough to worry about. Take your own health seriously and get screened by a physician after a car crash so that you can be sure you have a treatment plan in place and plenty of evidence for any injury claim.

Even though some injuries might not cause immediate symptoms, it’s up to you to get some peace of mind about your well-being post-accident. Your doctor will know how to guide you through this process and it can become the first step in recovering car accident injury compensation.

This article is not legal advice or medical advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.