After being involved in a car accident, it can be tempting to not be seen by a doctor after the accident. However, it is extremely important that if you are involved in a car accident that you be seen by a medical professional as soon as possible, even if you do not feel injured.
This is not only for the purpose of receiving proper medical care, but also for your accident claim if you end up having to file a lawsuit. There are common mistakes that accident victims make that ruin their car accident claim, not being seen by a doctor is one of them.
The longer you wait to be seen by a doctor after a car accident, the more difficult it will be to prove that your injuries were in fact caused by the accident. Insurance companies – yes, even your own love trying to blame your injuries on a ‘pre-existing’ health or medical condition. Another reason you need to seek immediate medical care is the fact that Florida PIP law requires you to obtain medical care within 14 days if you suffer injury in a car accident or your insurance company can deny your claim.
Even a minor accident can lead to a serious injury if not treated properly. Many of these injuries do not manifest for several days, sometimes weeks. The chances of sustaining a concussion, bone fracture or internal bleeding are high after being involved in a car accident, but many times, these injuries are not readily observable without an x-ray.
If you are injured to the point where you have sustained some type of severe injury, the emergency room or an urgent care is the first place you need to go for medical attention. Many times, even if your injuries are not life-threatening, it pays to at least be evaluated by an ER physician. These doctors will often have the patient undergo some diagnostic tests or x-rays, even if nothing is blatantly hurt or broken. These tests rule out the possibility that you have sustained an undetected injury.
Even if you have been seen by an emergency room physician, it is still recommended that you follow up with your family doctor or general practitioner. This should be done at least three days after the accident. Have them verify the diagnosis of the ER physician and examine you thoroughly to ensure that there are no other injuries that have manifested. This three-day period is normally recommended for several reasons. For one, if any injury did not manifest immediately, it likely will after three days or 72 hours. Additionally, it may be easier for the insurance company to poke holes in your story if it is reported that you waited for a significant period after the accident occurred before receiving any type of treatment.
Many insurance companies use software to help calculate the amount of a claim from an accident, and one of the pieces of information that these programs utilize is how quickly the injured party saw a physician after the accident. Specifically, the software looks to whether you have seen a doctor within 72 hours or three days of the accident. If you did see a doctor in that time period, this information is known as a value driver, which adds to your score in the insurance software, along with other values.
Many times, this information can make or break an individual’s chances at receiving a fair settlement offer for injuries sustained in the accident. Therefore, it is important, even if you do not immediately believe that you need to be seen by a doctor, that you at least get yourself checked out as soon as possible for any injuries following a car accident. By doing this, you will not only be checking for any unseen injuries, but you will also be protecting your rights to a claim down the road.
The Benenati Law Firm has recovered millions of dollars for its injury clients and accident victims. In Orlando and throughout Central Florida victims injured in accidents or through negligence need only hit the 7s to reach the personal injury offices of the Benenati Law Firm. Our oath to you is handling your case from start to finish effectively, competently, and aggressively. Allow us the opportunity to give you the personal attention you deserve in your case. You pay us nothing unless we win your case. Please do not hesitate to call our office today at 407-777-7777 for a free legal consultation.
Abogado Hispano con experiencia en juicios sirviendo las necesidades legales de la comunidad de la Florida.