After getting involved in a car accident, seeking medical attention is essential–whether you believe you need it at the time or not. There are injuries that may be apparent right away, but you may also have delayed-onset injuries or injuries that you haven’t yet noticed.
Once you go to the hospital, you’ll receive a full physical exam. Your medical provider will take a look to see if you have any obvious physical injuries. They will then order tests, like blood work, computerized tomography scans, magnetic resonance imaging tests and others, so that they can see what’s happening inside your body.
Substantiating a claim
Getting to the hospital after a crash is an essential first step because it will provide you with documentation of any medical treatment you receive. Receiving this treatment as soon as possible may also help prevent injuries from developing further complications.
Your record of this visit to the hospital (as well as future visits) shows that you were injured in the accident (rather than another way) and keeps a record of treatment costs you may not be liable for. Make sure you receive discharge paperwork and keep these documents safe. An attorney can use this and other documentation to help build your case, so you can get a fair settlement or take the case to court.
Every car crash is different, but the one thing that you should always do is make sure you take care of your health first. Your health is what is most important. After you’re medically stable, you can move on to fight for the compensation that you need in the future.
