Most car crashes are potentially serious, causing physical injuries and mental anguish as well as damage to your own vehicle. If you were a victim of someone else’s negligent driving, you should file a personal injury claim for compensation for the cost of your injuries.
To support your compensation claim you must have evidence that the car crash was caused by the other driver’s negligence and that this negligence caused your injuries. If you do not get your injuries assessed and treated, you are unlikely to convince the other driver’s insurer that your claim is justified.
Getting Your Injuries Checked
The immediate aftermath of the car accident depends very much on the actual accident. You may not be conscious or need emergency treatment and may not be able to do anything else. You may have less immediately obvious serious injuries and are able to obtain evidence that you could use later concerning the cause of the accident and why you believe it was caused by the other driver’s negligence. Whether you know you have been injured or not, you should make sure that you see a doctor or seek medical attention. A doctor’s assessment and recommendations are essential if you are considering filing a personal injury claim for compensation after a car crash.
Whatever the nature of your injuries, you will need to collect copies of any document that provides details of the injuries and the treatment required. If you have medical treatment, you should collect any documentation that provides details of the sort of treatment you need and the cost of it.
Can An Injury Appear After a Car Accident?
Yes, an injury can certainly appear after a car accident, even many weeks after. This is why it is important to seek a doctor’s assessment even if you don’t think you were badly injured or you don’t think you were injured at all.
Examples of injuries that can appear hours or days after a car crash are things like neck injuries. Rear end car crashes typically cause an injury called whiplash. This is when the driver’s head is suddenly forced forwards then backwards, injuring the neck muscles and neck vertebrae. The injury may not be obvious straight away but become painful later.
Mental stress can be caused by the shock of a car crash. When the crash happens, it is common for the victim to concentrate on physical circumstances. The horror of the crash is hidden until sometime later when it appears in the form of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or other mental illness.
Should I See a Doctor Even If I’m Fine?
Even if you feel fine immediately after a car crash, or think that your injuries are minor, you should still see a doctor. Some injuries only appear later as has already been discussed above. The minor injuries you have may become more serious if not assessed and treated, e.g. cuts and bruises that lead to nasty infections. Any injury caused by a car accident may lead to costly bills and time off work or inability to run your business. You should not have to bear the financial burden of a car crash injury if it was caused by another driver. Your doctor’s injury report is an important document when you get around to filing a personal injury claim.
Speak With a Personal Injury Lawyer
A car accident attorney can help you negotiate a claim for compensation, especially if the other driver’s insurer tries to minimize their client’s liability for your injury.
Fill out the Free Case Evaluation to get connected with an independent, participating personal injury attorney who may be able to help with your case.
