If you have been involved in a minor fender bender, you may breathe a sigh of relief because the damages weren’t serious enough to render your vehicle totaled and you appear to be in perfect health after the car accident. However, it is still important to visit your doctor as soon as possible, even if the collision wasn’t serious.
Common reasons why you should still seek medical care after a car crash include:
- Symptoms don’t always immediately appear – When it comes to soft tissue injuries such as whiplash, the symptoms may sometimes appear hours or even days following a collision. How come? When the body senses a potential threat to your life, it generates adrenaline and endorphins when you are in fight-or-flight mode. These chemicals in your body block the pain receptors, which is the reason why crash victims are not able to sense pain right away. As soon as the chemicals subside, the pain will come rushing in.
- Medical records are an important part of your car accident claim – If you intend to have the other driver pay for your medical expenses, you must obtain documents of your injuries and required treatments. Medical records are necessary to file a claim with an insurance company. If you end up delaying the process of handing over these records to the insurer, the company will argue that your injuries were caused by something else other than the accident because you took so long to come up with the documents.
- Lack of medical treatment can jeopardize your claim – If you fail to obtain immediate medical attention, but then the symptoms of a soft-tissue injury finally appear, insurance companies will always assume that you weren’t hurt in the accident. One of the most important factors they consider when deciding on claims is how quickly you got medical treatment following a crash. Remember, insurers are looking out for their own best interest and will do whatever it takes to discredit your claim to protect their bottom line. The more time passes, the more likely the person filing the claim is exaggerating or even faking their injuries.
Whether you were involved in a minor or major accident, you must still see a doctor to not only receive treatment for your injuries, but also obtain the necessary documentation to file a successful claim.
Contact our Fort Worth car accident attorney at the Law Office of James M. Stanley to discuss your case during your free consultation today.