Do I Need To Go To The Doctor After a Car Accident In Arizona?

Tucson Personal Injury Lawyers Discuss The Importance Of Seeking Medical Help After a Traffic Accident

After a serious car accident, emergency responders may be required to come to the scene. After a less severe accident, it may be your call on whether or not they should come to the scene. You may also seek your own medical treatment after the accident. Our Tucson Injury lawyers discuss the importance of seeking medical treatment after a car accident. Call or use our online form to schedule your free consultation if you have additional questions.

Reasons Why It Is Important To Seek Medical Attention After A Motor Vehicle Accident

Seeking medical attention shortly after an accident can reduce your risk of aggravating any injuries you do experience. When your injuries don’t require hospitalization, it may be tempting to go home, go to bed, take a few days off of work, and go about your daily life despite your minor injuries. A medical diagnosis will let you know how seriously you should take your injuries.

Back and neck injuries are unfortunately common after a car accident. These injuries, and many others, may not begin causing you pain for a significant amount of time after the accident. If you fail to seek medical treatment before you settle your claim, you won’t be able to go back and sue again after closing your claim. Whiplash and injuries to the head, neck, and spine could remain invisible for hours, days, or even longer after your accident. Concussions are another common injury after an accident, and can prove fatal if you carry on without medical attention. You should see a doctor after an accident so you can be examined for latent injuries whose symptoms have yet to appear.

You also may not feel pain after being injured in an accident due to an adrenaline rush or shock. Physical signs you may be in shock include short and rapid breathing, quick pulse, increased sweating, nausea, pupil dilation, and more. A doctor may be able to note that you are in shock after the accident, which can be used to prove the trauma the accident caused and protect you from claims that you weren’t in pain at the scene of the accident.

Benefits Of Medical Records When Settling Your Personal Injury Case

Medical records can be a strong piece of evidence in your personal injury case. To maximize your award after an accident, you need to prove that the accident caused severe and painful injuries. Medical records can show a detailed picture of the extent of your injuries, as well as the duration of your medical treatment. They can also be vital in proving how much medical treatment you will need in the future due to your injuries. The medical records may describe the pain and side effects you experienced due to treatment. Your medical records can prove that your injuries were caused by the accident- without them, the opposing party may argue that your injuries were pre-existing or caused by a separate incident.

Having a personal injury attorney in Tucson will help you properly utilize your medical records to achieve your highest possible settlement. The other driver’s insurance company will be using every available tactic to reduce the value of your claim, and a lack of medical treatment and records could be used to argue that your injuries weren’t severe if you didn’t seek treatment. Your attorney will want you to see a doctor as soon as possible after an accident for documentation of your pain and inconvenience. Insurance companies know how effective it is in front of a jury, and therefore want to settle the claim out of court. Your attorney can use this piece of evidence to leverage your a higher settlement, but its absence could impact your ability to collect any damages at all.

Failure To Seek Medical Attention Can Negatively Impact Your Personal Injury Claim

The value of your claim will be based on the amount of damages you incur. Examples of damages you can collect after an accident include lost income, lost earning potential, medical bills, future medical expenses, and pain and suffering. Pain and suffering is usually calculated in part based on your medical expenses. Without medical expenses, there are far less damages for which you can be compensated for in a personal injury claim. Failing to seek medical attention after an accident can sharply reduce the amount of damages you are eligible to collect in a personal injury claim. The other side may argue that your injuries aren’t as severe as you claim, or you were never really injured at all from the accident.

If you do seek medical attention, it is also important that you follow any instructions the doctor gives you. The doctor’s instructions may be fairly simple, like icing your injury and taking ibuprofen, or could be more involved, like taking prescriptions and seeking additional specialty therapies. If you don’t follow the doctor’s instructions, the other driver’s insurance company will argue that your own negligence exacerbated your injuries. The same argument can be made if you fail to continue treatment after following the doctor’s initial orders.

Never Wait To Get Medical Attention When Involved In An Accident In Pima County, Arizona

If you’re the victim of a car accident in Tucson, you should seek medical attention as quickly as possible. Not only can this reduce the severity of your injuries after an accident, but can help protect your right to compensation in a personal injury claim. After completing this vital step, and ideally before speaking to any involved insurance companies, you should consult with an experienced personal injury lawyer. A Tucson accident lawyer will handle the legwork of your personal injury claim, and help you achieve a higher overall award.

Once you retain a personal injury attorney, insurance adjusters are required to contact your attorney directly instead of you. This frees you from the stress of making statements that could damage your claim, and gives you more time to focus on recovery from your injuries. Your personal injury will work on a contingency fee, meaning they will take a standard portion of your award after settlement or a win at trial. This makes hiring an attorney more accessible for someone recovering from car accident injuries.

Our Experienced Tucson Personal Injury Attorneys Can Help!

If you’re looking for a high quality legal representation at a clear and fair rate, contact our office today to schedule your free consultation. Our dedicated staff and attorneys will guide you through every step of the personal injury claim process, and help you obtain the highest award possible. We charge a guaranteed contingency fee of 25%, which can save you thousands of dollars when compared to our competition, who charge up to 33% or more. To learn more about the benefits of hiring our Tucson accident lawyers, schedule your free consultation today.

Injury Lawyers Tucson
2 East Congress St., Suite #900-6A
Tucson, AZ 85701
Phone: (520) 441-1450
Email: info@tucsoninjurylawyers.org