Many people will insist that you go to a hospital after you’ve been involved in a car accident. For the most part, these suggestions are correct. But do you always have to? What if you haven’t been injured? And why is this so important in the first place?
The Aftermath of a Car Accident
The immediate aftermath of a car accident can be confusing and chaotic, especially if you’ve suffered a head injury or if you don’t know what’s going on. In any case, you need to act quickly and decisively to follow three main priorities, in this order:
- Personal safety. Your personal safety needs to be the highest priority, since getting yourself to safety means you’ll be in a position to better assist others as well. If you’re currently in the way, or if you’re in danger, try to get yourself to a safe position as soon as possible. You also need to take care of any injuries you might have suffered, which is why it’s so important to get yourself to a hospital right away.
- The safety of others. Only after you’ve handled your own personal safety should you worry about the safety of others. If others were involved in the car accident, you should help them if it is safe to do so. You should also make sure these people go to the hospital for their injuries, for the same reasons.
- Legal matters. Eventually, you’ll need to talk to a personal injury lawyer about your legal options after the car accident. If this accident was a result of someone else’s negligence, all your injuries will be compensable. However, you’re going to need official documentation that you suffered these injuries and took reasonable steps to treat them. Accordingly, if you want to put yourself in a better legal position, you need to go to the hospital after your accident.
Why You Should Probably Go to a Hospital
There are several reasons why it’s so important to get to a hospital, rather than just making a doctor’s appointment for some other time or neglecting your medical care altogether. For starters, the scene of the accident can be overwhelming.
In fact, all the chaos and distractions can make you greatly underestimate the extent to which you’re injured. Adrenaline can mask your pain, and your body may have suffered damage that you haven’t yet noticed, strange as that may sound. If you go to a hospital, you’ll be thoroughly evaluated, and a medical professional can evaluate the extent of your injuries, even if adrenaline is still coursing through your veins.
Visiting the hospital is also a matter of urgency for certain injuries. If you don’t get medical attention immediately, they could easily become worse, potentially setting you up for a lifetime of chronic pain if you aren’t careful.
Finally, hospital visits are a great way to get official documentation of the existence and scope of your injuries. This type of paperwork will serve as valuable evidence as you negotiate for a higher settlement or fight things out in court.
When Can It Wait?
Are there any circumstances in which a visit to a medical professional can wait or be avoided?
The short answer is yes, but these tend to be rare. If you were only involved in a tiny fender bender, such that you don’t even suspect bruises, going to the hospital might not be necessary. However, it’s still not a bad idea to make a doctor’s appointment, especially since car insurance companies will likely be paying for the medical expenses.
After Your Initial Medical Intervention
After you initially go to the hospital, there are some additional steps you’ll need to follow.
- Follow your doctor’s advice. It’s a good idea to follow your doctor’s advice, but it’s especially important to do so in the aftermath of a car accident.
- Take any medications you’re prescribed. If you’re prescribed any medications, take them.
- Keep thorough records. Get receipts for all of your medical appointments and other medical expenses.
- Document your recovery process. Keep track of how you improve over time.
- Attend your follow-up appointments. Always go to your follow-up appointments, even if you don’t feel you need them.
- Trust your lawyer’s advice. When in doubt, trust your lawyer’s advice.
Strictly speaking, going to the hospital isn’t always an absolute requirement for people involved in car accidents. However, if you think you’ve been injured even slightly, it’s a good idea to go to the hospital to get the proper care you need, compensate for your blind spots, and ultimately land in a better legal position.