After an accident, the first thing that you need to do is to seek medical attention. Below are some of the reasons why you should always seek medical care after being in an accident.
To foster your overall well-being
One of the primary reasons why you should always seek medical care after being in an accident is to foster your overall well-being. Keep in mind that you are the one responsible for taking care of yourself and looking out for your long-term health. This means that apart from the physical injuries that you have sustained, seeking medical attention immediately will also help you heal from the emotional and mental trauma that the accident may have caused.
To treat “invisible” injuries
Another reason why you should seek medical care after being in an accident is to treat even minor injuries that you may not notice that much. These are sometimes referred to as invisible injuries because they tend to show up only a few days or sometimes, even weeks after the accident. For instance, you may be suffering from a concussion, but since it is not immediately apparent, you may deem that you are fine. It might be a bit too late already to address this and protect your health when you only see a doctor as soon as you feel its symptoms. Even worse, you may not even be eligible to claim for it because the insurance company might refute that it is no longer a result of the accident since you were fine right after the mishap.
To obtain substantial pieces of evidence
Seeking medical care right after an accident is also important for you to obtain substantial pieces of evidence that you need later on to support your claim. One of the best car accident lawyers in Orlando suggests that even if you feel fine, you have to get yourself assessed and evaluated by a doctor because your medical records, later on, will form part of the shreds of evidence that you need to present to an insurance company. Your medical records will also protect your rights to compensation, later on, even maximising what you can claim for the injuries you have sustained. On the other hand, your medical records can also be viable pieces of evidence to help establish a lawsuit as necessary. This is particularly true if the accident was a result of negligence by the other party or if a criminal case needs to be pursued. For instance, if the other driver behind the wheel was drunk, which is why the accident happened, causing the death of one of those involved in the mishap, then you can expect a criminal case to follow suit. Being one of the injured, you will need your medical records to show the injuries you have sustained because of the accident, holding the drunk driver responsible.
To counter the claims of an insurance provider
Given that an insurance provider still runs on the premise of earning a profit much like a business would, you can expect that they will try to refute your claim or negotiate with a meagre settlement. Keep in mind that an insurance provider will tend to do whatever they can within their means to quickly settle your case as cheaply as possible, even insisting that you were uninjured in the first place. Thus, apart from your medical records, make sure that you get in touch with a seasoned lawyer as well who will represent you keeping your best interests in mind.
Other things to do after being in an accident
- Call the police: Apart from making sure that you get immediate medical attention right after an accident, you should also exert an effort to call the police. For sure they will get in touch with the emergency responders who will provide immediate assistance to those who need it. In parallel to this, the police will also handle the investigation of the scene and generate an appropriate report. Make sure that you get a copy of the report as well because this is another piece of record that you will need to support your claim or your case later on.
- Exchange information with other motorists: If you are not majorly injured and the other people involved in the mishap sustained only minor injuries as well, make sure that you exchange information with each other. Some of the details that you may want to get and provide include the name, address, contact number, and driver’s license information. In case there are witnesses, make sure that you get their details as well.
- Document the scene: While waiting for the police to arrive, you can try to preserve the scene and document it by taking pictures. This will help establish the cause of the accident so make sure that you capture pictures from different angles. Aside from this, you should also try to take a picture of the road and weather conditions when the accident happened. Nevertheless, as soon as the police arrive, make sure that you tell the investigating officers what happened to the best of your ability, neither adding nor omitting bits and pieces of information.
- Get in touch with a lawyer: Finally, make sure to get in touch with your lawyer because they are the ones who are in the best position to represent you or even negotiate with the insurance companies. Rest assured that when they do represent you, they have your best interests in mind.
Make sure that you always seek medical care after being in an accident to foster your overall well-being and health. In this case, even your “invisible” injuries will be treated. Getting the proper medical attention will also help you acquire the substantial pieces of evidence that you need to support your claim, as well as to counter the claims of an insurance provider. Just keep in mind that you still need to do other things such as calling the police or exchanging information with the other motorists in the road mishap right after it occurs.
