Getting a thorough medical examination after a car accident is vital, but sometimes overlooked by car crash victims. Some people feel fine immediately after a car wreck, but suffer from ailments weeks later. This is why many insurance companies rush to offer a quick settlement; they would rather pay you a low amount before you’ve had time to properly ascertain your injuries. The Las Vegas personal injury lawyers at ER Injury Attorneys are here to tell you why it’s so important to go to the doctor after a car accident.
5 Reasons Why You Should See a Doctor After a Car Accident
There are many important reasons why you should get a comprehensive medical exam by a doctor after a car accident. Naturally, it can be crucial for your health, but it can also be an essential element of your personal injury claim. Here are five reasons from our Las Vegas car accident lawyers at ER Injury Attorneys.
Adrenaline Can Mask Injuries
Adrenaline may be coursing through your body immediately after a car crash. This is a normal part of your body’s fight-or-flight response. Adrenaline can increase your blood circulation, respiratory rate, and metabolism, which can lead to you being stronger for a period of time. While the surge of energy can be helpful, it can also hide signs of serious injuries since adrenaline can block pain receptors.
While adrenaline can give you the false impression that your body is okay, it could be hiding signs of injuries. This is often true in cases of whiplash. In some cases, you could make the injuries worse by putting pressure on the affected areas. A licensed medical professional can help detect any injuries that you aren’t feeling, but are very much there.
Medical Records May Be Necessary For Your Claim
Receiving a proper assessment from a medical professional can be instrumental when it comes to getting the compensation that you deserve for your injuries. This is especially true for injuries that require long-term care and rehabilitation. While insurance companies try to minimize the cost and extent of your injuries, proper documentation can help make sure that your medical expenses are fully covered in your settlement.
While seeing a doctor after a car accident is important for your health, it can be important for your claim as well. Be sure to keep receipts–electronic and physical, if possible–for every physical exam, blood test, diagnostic, and prescription medicine related to your accident. Insurance companies may ask for this documentation before issuing a settlement check.
Doctors Can Let You Know of Warning Signs
Some injuries may not be apparent shortly after a car accident. A doctor or specialist that’s familiar with injuries stemming from car accidents can let you know what signs to look for regarding these injuries. In addition to diagnosing any immediate injuries, a good medical professional can let you know what warning signs to look out for in terms of potentially affected parts of your body.
The Las Vegas car accident lawyers at ER Injury Attorneys have served clients that have had injuries manifest weeks after their car accident. Thankfully, their doctors told them what signs to look out for and long-term damage was minimized.
Soft Tissue Damage Can Be Difficult to Diagnose
Broken bones are relatively straightforward injuries that can be detected by a simple X-ray. Soft tissue damage, such as injuries to cartilage, ligaments, and tendons, can be much more difficult to detect. In addition to needing time for swelling to subside, CT scans or MRI scans are often required to accurately diagnose soft tissue damage.
Detecting soft tissue damage quickly can be vital to your long-term health. Putting additional pressure on damaged soft tissue can lead to further damage or tearing, which can permanently affect the way you move. Seeing a doctor after a car accident can help make sure that any soft tissue injuries you have are treated quickly.
Your Body May Be Overcompensating for an Injury
Some injuries may start in one limb, but overcompensation can spread the damage and pain. For example, you may feel some minor pain or weakness in your right knee and your body may compensate by putting more pressure on your left leg. Many times this compensation is subconscious and you may not realize you’re doing anything differently until additional injuries pop up.
People that have a knee injury often experience pain in the opposite hip because of the extra work it’s doing. While the injury may be deemed minor at first, it can lead to further damage that can make movement difficult. A proper medical exam can get the injury diagnosed and healed so that other parts of your body aren’t damaged.
Contact a Las Vegas Car Accident Lawyer
The team at ER Injury Attorneys hopes that you have a better understanding of why it’s so important to see a doctor after a car accident. If you’ve been in a car crash and you do not have a doctor, our team can put you in touch with some of the top physicians and specialists in Nevada.
After you’ve had your health assessed, our lawyers will work tirelessly to make sure that you get the highest compensation possible for your car accident. Our team can help make sure that you receive the money you deserve for your medical expenses, property damage, pain and suffering, lost wages, and more.
ER Injury Attorneys is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Give us a call at 702-878-7878 or connect with us online through LiveChat for a free consultation. Remember, our team of experienced Las Vegas personal injury attorneys do not charge any fees unless your case is won. Contact us today and find out why ER Injury Attorneys is one of the most trusted names in Nevada personal injury law.
The information on this blog is for general information purposes only. Nothing herein should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.