It takes a lot of time and resources to recover from a car crash. Many survivors want to do whatever it takes to save money in the wake of severe property damage. As such, survivors like you may think it would be in their best interest not to go to the hospital after an accident if they’re feeling fine.
In reality, this is a bad idea. Some car accident injuries don’t make themselves known immediately following a crash. If you work with emergency responders and go to the hospital, you can get ahead of these injuries and start developing the paper trail you need to demand compensation for your medical losses.
Do you have questions about what you should do after a car accident, or do you feel you need representation? You can reach out to Simmrin Law Group today to request support from an experienced Los Angeles car accident attorney.
Car Accident Injuries Aren’t Always Obvious
The luckiest car accident survivors come away from their collisions with few to no visible injuries. That said, injuries don’t have to be visible to be present on the body. Whiplash, for example, can only make itself known a few days to weeks after an initial accident.
It’s with the delayed development of certain injuries in mind that professionals recommend all car accident survivors, fine or otherwise, meet with both emergency responders and their general practitioners following a collision. These medical professionals can assess the circumstances that led to a person’s accident and check for hidden injuries accordingly.
Work With Emergency Responders
Either you, the other passengers in a car accident, or passersby can call emergency responders following a collision. It is in your best interest to remain at the scene until emergency responders arrive. If a liable party attempts to flee the scene, do not attempt to follow them.
Once emergency responders arrive, listen to them. If this means sitting in an ambulance, do so. If this means helping emergency responders move or treat another injured party, do so. These professionals know how to work in high-stress situations and can help treat your emotional fallout if you don’t have any visible injuries.
Go to the Hospital if Necessary
Emergency responders can help treat any immediate visible emotional or physical injuries at the scene of an accident. That said, emergency responders may not have all of the resources they need to assess your health in more detail at the scene of an accident.
Emotional distress from an accident can have long-lasting effects, even if there are no visible physical injuries. If you experience anxiety, PTSD, or other emotional trauma after an accident, you may be entitled to compensation. Emotional distress lawyers in Los Angeles can help you pursue damages for the mental and emotional impact of the incident.
With that in mind, concerned emergency responders May recommend that you go to a hospital immediately following a crash. If an emergency responder recommends that you seek out immediate treatment from another party, do so. As experienced catastrophic injury lawyers in Los Angeles we have seen the long-term effects of severe car accident injuries.
If a professional says that you can wait to go to the hospital for a day or two, you can. That said, it is in your best interest to schedule a concern appointment as soon as you can.
Meet With Your General Practitioner
Even if emergency responders agree with you in your assessment of your health and send you home without further assessments, it is in your best interest to meet with your general practitioner after a car crash. Your general practitioner can offer a secondary assessment of your health.
Moreover, your general practitioner can make a note about your car accident and refer back to those notes should injuries or other health concerns pop up later down the line. Integrating your car crash into your health history makes it easier for future medical professionals to more accurately assess your health concerns.
The Liable Party May Have to Pay For Your Recovery
Working with emergency responders and meeting with your general practitioner may seem like a lot of work. However, they help you establish a paper trail of expenses caused by the accident. A Los Angeles personal injury lawyer can include that paper trail in a claim to hold the liable party responsible for your expenses.
That’s the benefit of a car accident claim. If you have accident-related injuries that develop over time or related losses, you can submit a claim to a civil judge demanding compensation. That said, if you don’t get the medical care that you need because you feel fine, you may not have the right to later request compensation for accident-related injuries.
Should you find that you have questions about best practices following a car accident, know that our attorneys are here to help. You can reach out to a car accident attorney with Simmrin Law Group for more information about post-accident care.
How to File a Car Accident Claim
Note that if you do want to assume a personal entry claim against the party responsible for your car accident, you need to do so within your statute of limitations. California Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1 gives you no more than two years to act on your losses.
If you do not file within this timeline, you may waive your right to compensation won through the Civil Court system.
Simmrin Law Group Wants to Help You Recover
It can be tempting not to go to the hospital after a car accident. After all, if you’re feeling fine, you might think it would be smarter to save money and focus on your other expenses. In reality, putting off a visit to the hospital could worsen an injury that you haven’t yet detected. What’s more, it makes it harder for you to request financial support for medical expenses later.
With that in mind, work with emergency responders. Go to the hospital after a car accident. Schedule an appointment with your general practitioner so you can update them about any injuries you may have endured in your crash. It doesn’t matter whether or not you feel like you’re injured. The safer you are after a car accident, the better.
If you have questions about best practices after a car accident, reach out to our law firm. We can connect you with a Simmrin Law Group car accident attorney who can represent you throughout your recovery.