When people are involved in
car accidents, it’s important that they don’t wait too long before seeking
medical attention, even if they don’t think they’re hurt.
If you’re involved an auto accident, refrain from making any statements
to the police, the at-fault driver, or the insurance company that claim
you aren’t injured, such as, “I’m not hurt” or
“I’m not injured” because they can ultimately hurt your
claim down the road.
After an auto accident, your body pumps out adrenaline, otherwise known
as the hormone epinephrine, which is responsible for your body’s
fight-or-flight response.
Adrenaline comes in very handy when your life is at risk as it gives you a sudden
surge of energy to flee from danger. Adrenaline also temporarily masks
pain so you can fight to survive; for example, when you’re being
chased by a Grizzly bear in Alaska, or when you’re carrying your
70-pound child out of a burning building in the middle of the night.
The thing is that when your body is flooded with adrenaline after an auto
accident, you may not feel any pain. While this is great if you need to
rescue the at-fault driver from a car that’s about to explode even
though you have internal injuries, this can act against you if at the
scene you tell everybody, “Nothing hurts, I’m perfectly fine!”
You see, adrenaline can stay in your system for hours, if not days after
an accident, masking all sensations of pain. If you fail to see a doctor
within a reasonable time, there can be two negative consequences: 1) you
don’t receive necessary medical treatment when you need it, and
2) the insurance company can try to reduce if not deny your claim.
Delay in Medical Treatment is Detrimental
Suppose you were involved in an auto accident. Your adrenaline was rushing
and you didn’t feel any pain. So, you didn’t see any need
to visit a doctor. Then, days later, the pain set it and you began experiencing
severe neck and back pain. You decided to take ibuprofen and see if the
pain would subside.
Delaying medical treatment is not wise. For starters, if you don’t
see a doctor after a car accident, the insurance company will assume you’re
fine. If you decide to see a doctor weeks later, this sends a powerful
message that you didn’t need medical attention and the insurance
company will use that to their advantage. It will either try to reduce
your claim, or deny it altogether.
As a general rule, if you’re in an accident you should see a doctor
within 72 hours of the crash, if not sooner. A chiropractor will suffice
for insurance company standards. Just be sure that you tell the healthcare
provider that you’re seeking treatment for a crash and save all
receipts and medical records. If your primary care physician is unavailable,
you can visit an Urgent Care clinic, or head into your nearest emergency
room. The most important thing is to make sure that you are seen promptly
after a crash.
Contact Laurence A. Silverman, Esq., to meet with a Long Island
personal injury lawyer!