You’ve been bitten by a dog, fallen on a slick patch of pavement outside a business, or been hit by a car. Although your pride might be hurt and you’re a little scared, you otherwise feel physically fine. What’s your next step? You might think that you just need to go home and rest until the shock of the accident wears off. However, skipping medical attention at this point is a big mistake. This choice could hurt both your physical health and your personal injury claim.

Medical attention is an essential part of any personal injury claim. Find out why you should see a doctor as soon as possible after an injury, and when you’re ready to move forward with your claim, call The Dodd Law Firm at 203-272-1883.

Prompt Medical Care Could Save Your Life

You may not feel injured after an accident, but that does not mean that you aren’t hurt. The body actively works to protect you when you’re in an accident. In preparation for fight or flight, it releases a flood of adrenaline into your body. This temporarily shuts down some functions of the body so you can focus on either fighting for yourself or getting away from danger.

Part of this response is a temporary inability to feel pain. This is supposed to give you enough time to get to a safe place before tending to your injuries. However, this can also make you falsely believe that you’ve gotten away scot-free after an accident. If you assume you’re not injured but you have serious injuries lying just below the surface, any delay in medical care could be devastating.

Delayed Injuries

You may wonder what injuries aren’t immediately visible after an accident, and the fact is that many take hours or days to appear. They include:

• Spinal injuries
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Whiplash
• Internal bleeding

Some injuries are dependent on immediate testing and detection. For example, imagine you suffer a dog bite. Without proof of the dog’s rabies vaccination, you must immediately seek emergency medical care so they can take the proper steps to protect you.

A Medical Exam Links Your Injuries and the Accident

It’s obvious that medical care is a crucial part of protecting your physical health after an accident, but it’s also important for your personal injury claim. Before an insurance company will pay you what you deserve for an injury, they will need indisputable proof that your injuries are a result of their client’s actions. They will do everything in their power to find some other way that your injury could have happened.

Imagine being in a car accident. You feel okay right after, just a little worn out and rattled. As the days pass, you realize that your headache is not going away. In addition, your neck has become so stiff that you cannot turn to the right. You finally seek medical care one week after the accident.

To you, the hospital, and your insurance company, it’s clear that your injuries are the result of the accident you were in. The other party’s insurance company won’t see it that way. They’ll point out that anything could have happened between the accident and your checkup, so why should they pay for something their client didn’t cause? If they agree to pay anything, it will be minimal.

On the other hand, it is much harder to make this claim if you go to the doctor right after your accident. Immediate medical care creates a much stronger link between your accident and the injuries you suffered. As a result, the insurance company is put in a position where they have to pay a fair settlement if they want to avoid court.

Going to the doctor is the right choice for your health and your legal options, so make it a priority.

Discuss Your Case with The Dodd Law Firm

Looking for more personalized assistance with your personal injury claim? It’s time to talk to the team at The Dodd Law Firm. We’re ready to advocate for you and hold the negligent party accountable for your injuries. Set up a meeting now by calling us at 203-272-1883 or getting in touch online.