Why Should I Visit the Doctor After a Car Crash?
After you’re hurt in a car accident, you may have minor injuries. But you think you might be okay. Should you go to the doctor? Our Denver car accident lawyers explain why it’s essential to visit the doctor after a car crash, even if you don’t suspect any injuries.
Should You Always Get Checked Out After a Car Accident?
Yes, it would be best if you were checked by a medical professional after a car accident. Going to the doctor for examination after a car accident can not only be vital to your health, but it can also protect your legal rights.
Subtle injuries following a crash can become life-threatening without immediate medical attention. Some injuries may appear minor, but they quickly become more severe without proper treatment. In addition, care from a professional following a car accident can create a record of your injuries and build evidence to bring a legal claim for financial compensation.
What Do I Say to the Doctor After a Car Accident?
After a car accident, you should tell the doctor what your symptoms are and what happened to cause the crash. The doctor needs to know specifics. In other words, don’t just say, “My back hurts!” Tell the doctor that you have a sharp pain in the midpoint of your back, for example. It will ensure you get the proper treatment right away.
In addition to giving the doctor sufficient detail about your injuries, tell the doctor what happened to cause the accident and how you were hurt. Explain how you were thrown, pushed or impacted. The doctor can use the information you say to explore possible injuries that could have resulted.
What Injuries May Not Appear Immediately After a Car Crash?
Some of the injuries that may not be obvious right after a car crash include:
- Brain injuries, concussion
- Internal bleeding
- Whiplash
- Torn ligaments
- Spinal injuries
- Mental health injuries
- Sleep disturbances
- Tinnitus and other hearing difficulties
- Inflammation, soreness and pain
- Numbness, loss of feeling
These types of injuries after a car accident can have devastating and long-term effects on a victim. This is why it’s so important to seek medical help after a crash.
Why Should You Call a Doctor After You Have Been Injured?
After being injured, you should call a doctor to ensure that you do not have serious injuries that you do not realize. Sometimes, a person may have significant and even life-threatening injuries after an accident. They may not know they are hurt because the injuries may not be immediately visible because of adrenaline in the state of chaos and confusion after the accident. A doctor can evaluate symptoms and make sure that the individual addresses any serious injuries that require immediate stabilization.
In addition, the individual can receive a care plan from a professional to ensure that their injuries do not become worse. The steps that a person takes after an accident can prevent injuries from becoming worse. It can start them on a path to recovery.
How Long After a Car Accident Can Injuries Appear?
Injuries may appear up to several weeks after a car accident. Internal bleeding, including from the seat belt, may take a few days to show. A concussion may give subtle signs weeks or even months after the impact occurs. Post-traumatic stress disorder may appear when the victim experiences triggers. There is no timeline for when mental health injuries may manifest themselves, and healing may take significant care and time.
Symptoms of delayed injury may include:
- Headaches
- Unexplained back pain
- Fatigue
- Difficulty sleeping
- Confusion
- Trouble managing daily activities
- Changes in mood and irritability
- Stomach or chest pain
- Mobility limitations
Any unusual pain or behavior in the aftermath of an accident may be a sign of serious injury.
Can You Receive Financial Compensation for a Delayed Injury?
Yes, it is possible to receive financial compensation for a delayed injury. You have the right to fair remuneration for damages that result from the accident. Even if these injuries don’t manifest themselves immediately after a car accident, you still have a right to receive compensation for them.
As long as you file your claim by the statute of limitations expiration, you may file a claim for your damages, whether they show immediately or are delayed for some time after the accident.
Legal Challenges in Car Crash Claims for Delayed Injury
While victims may claim car crash damages even if their injuries are delayed, there may be some added challenges. The victim needs to prove something called causation. They must prove that their injuries are the result of the accident. If there is no immediate medical attention after the accident, it may call causation into question.
However, your car accident attorney can assist with preparing the evidence that you need to prove the relationship between the injuries and the crash. Depending on the nature of the crash, you may work with car crash attorneys, truck accident attorneys, motorcycle accident attorneys or drunk driving accident attorneys. They can develop expert medical testimony to identify injuries and verify the cause as being the crash. Your attorneys can assist you with proving each element of the collision, including totaling damages and showing how they are the result of the accident.
How Do You Document Injuries After a Car Crash?
To document injuries after a crash, you may do any of the following:
- Seek medical care as soon as you notice symptoms or behavioral changes
- Keep a journal of symptoms and things that you see are different
- Take photos of visible injuries
- Compile records of when you visit the doctor
- Work with medical experts who can explain how trauma caused your injuries
- Maintain receipts and expenses for medical care
- Prepare exhibits to describe injuries and their severity
Get Help From Personal Injury Attorneys
The personal injury attorneys at Bachus & Schanker, LLC are dedicated to helping accident victims and their families. Even if you have delayed injuries after a car accident, you may qualify to receive financial compensation. It’s crucial to gather evidence to prove your case carefully. We can help. Learn about our philosophy and get to know our founding partners that oversee every case. Explore our case or no case educational examples.
We’re proud of our firm credentials, but we’re most proud of every client we work with to help seek justice. If you’ve been hurt, we invite you to contact us for a free consultation.
