How Long After a Car Accident Can You go to the Hospital?
If you or somebody you care about has been injured in a vehicle accident, the number one priority is seeking medical care immediately. However, there are various reasons why some individuals may not seek emergency medical care right after an accident occurs. In some cases, the signs and symptoms of vehicle accident injuries do not appear for hours or even days after the crash occurs. It is important to understand how long you have after a vehicle accident occurs to seek medical care, particularly if you are trying to recover compensation for your injuries from an at-fault party.
You Should Seek Medical Treatment Quickly
The number one priority after any vehicle accident is ensuring that all injured parties obtain medical care. In many situations, this medical care starts at the scene of the incident with EMS personnel and transportation to the closest hospital. However, not every person needs emergency medical transportation.
If you are involved in a vehicle accident but choose not to take an ambulance to the hospital, we still recommend that you go to the doctor as soon as feasible after the incident scene has cleared. This is very important. Even if you do not feel like you are in much pain, or even if you are in no pain at all, a doctor needs to conduct a complete evaluation. Some vehicle accident injuries do not have any signs or symptoms for hours or even days after the crash. Any delay in seeking medical care could ultimately be used against you by the insurance carriers.
If You Wait, Go To The Doctor At The First Sign of Pain
If you do choose to put off seeking medical care after a vehicle accident occurs, we encourage you to go to the doctor immediately if you begin to feel any pain in the hours or days after the car accident occurs. The ultimate goal here is to establish a timeline of events after the incident. If you seek medical care for treatment of an injury that has a high likelihood of occurring in a vehicle accident, it will still be possible to link the injury to the car crash.
Overall, you must remember that your health and well-being are the priority. You should never put off seeking medical care if you are in any pain. Often, what seems like minor injuries to begin with turn into more major problems than initially realized. The sooner you seek medical care, the more likely you will be to make a prompt recovery.
If You Think It’s Too Late, It’s Not
If you are thinking to yourself, “There’s no way that they will think my current pain and suffering has to do with the vehicle accident,” then we want you to push those thoughts aside and go to the doctor anyway. Even if it has been a week or more after the incident, you need to prioritize your health, get evaluated by a doctor, and follow any treatment protocols they prescribe.
You need to let a skilled Atlanta car accident lawyer worry about how to prove that your injuries were caused by the accident. An attorney can work with trusted medical experts who can testify as to how your injury is likely occurred and provide statements to insurance carriers or to a personal injury jury if necessary.