If you have been involved in a serious accident, such as a car accident, a construction site accident, or even a simple slip and fall, you should strongly consider seeking medical attention. This is true even if you do not believe you have been seriously injured, and have not experienced significant pain or discomfort afterwards. Here are just some of the reasons why you should seek medical attention after an accident:
- Some injuries are not immediately apparent
- Just because you do not feel like you have been seriously injured in an accident does not mean you were not hurt. Certain injuries, such as hairline fractures or traumatic brain injuries, are notorious for evading detection, sometimes for weeks or months at a time. As a result, they can be aggravated from lack of treatment, leading to more severe health complications later on.
- You can get prompt medical treatment
- The sooner you get your injuries examined, the sooner you can get them treated. This can help you get a better prognosis on your treatment, and help you speed up your recovery. The longer you put off a medical examination, the more likely it is you will suffer long-term effects from your accident.
- Your doctor creates contemporary medical records
- In addition to helping you get medical treatment, you can make sure your injuries are well-documented. This is important, because if you wait too long to get your injuries examined, or fail to get examined entirely, it may be difficult to tie your injuries to the accident. By getting examined promptly, however, you will have contemporary medical records to help you show the link between your accident and your injuries.
- It can help prove your case in court
- If you wind up in a lawsuit as a result of your accident, you will need to demonstrate proof that your injuries are a result of the accident. If you fail to get prompt medical attention, insurers may try to argue the harm you suffered has nothing to do with the accident. However, if you do get treated quickly (preferably within 48 hours), it will be easier to hold them to account for their negligence.
- It can help you collect compensation for the harm you suffered
- In court, you can only obtain compensation for the harm you can prove you suffered. Your medical records help provide evidence for the extent and nature of your injuries, increasing the amount of money you can win through a settlement or trial. However, you will still need the guidance of a lawyer with experience handling personal injury matters, who can assist you with your case.
For more than 50 years, the New York lawyers at Elovich and Adell are ready to represent you in your personal injury case. Our attorneys, conveniently located in Long Beach, handle personal injury, real estate, commercial transactions, criminal defense, and labor and employment claims all across New York State. For a consultation, please call us at 516-432-6263 or visit our contact page for more information.
