Car accidents are an unfortunate reality for many drivers in Albany, often leaving victims injured and unsure of what to do next. In the aftermath of a collision, seeking immediate medical attention is not just crucial for your health but also for protecting your legal rights. Whether you’re facing minor injuries or severe trauma, addressing your medical needs first is essential. For those navigating the legal complexities that follow, car accident lawyers in Albany can offer the expertise needed to build a strong claim. However, your health must always take precedence.
The Hidden Dangers Of Delayed Treatment
During any car accident, one’s body releases gallons of adrenaline and endorphins. In return, such stress hormones inhibit an individual’s pain or injury symptoms, making them feel much better than they are. What had seemed to be a minor ache at the time of the accident could turn out to be, hours or days after, some life-threatening condition. Car accident lawyers in Albany will help you through the compensation you need after delayed treatment.
Building A Medical Record
Insurance carriers will often try to minimize a claim by suggesting that an injury was unrelated to the accident or that the injury was pre-existing. Where you have immediate medical records following an accident, you establish a clear timeline, which is much more difficult for insurance companies to refute. It helps establish a cause-and-effect relationship between the accident and your injuries.
Treatment Gap May Harm Your Claim
If you do not go to a doctor immediately and wait days or weeks, you will have created what insurance companies call a “gap in treatment.” This undoubtedly will weaken your claim, as the insurance adjusters will say that it wasn’t that serious if you didn’t see a doctor right away or it wasn’t even an injury from the accident.
Think of it this way, from the insurance carrier’s perspective: had your injuries been due to an accident and severe enough for you to seek compensation, would you not have gone to medical care immediately? This way, their attorneys would argue to minimize or refute your claim. You will be avoiding this potential defense if you immediately get medical care.
Documentation Of All The Prevailing Injuries In Detail
Your practitioners will easily document all your injuries while fresh and visible the moment you go to the emergency room immediately after your injury. Apparent injuries might include cuts and bruises, while less apparent wounds or trauma may be diagnosed by clinical examination and imaging studies.
Following Medical Advice Strengthens Your Case
It is equally important that once you receive initial attention, you follow your healthcare provider’s treatment plan.
- Keeping all follow-up doctor visits
- Finishing prescription therapy
- Taking medications as prescribed
- Following the restrictions of activity
Final Thoughts
Medical attention after involvement in a car accident should not be delayed. This is not only a matter of your health, which should be evident as being the priority, but also of your legal rights, which must be well taken care of to see that your injuries are reasonably compensated for.
Remember that decisions made in the hours and days immediately following an accident can be critical to your physical and legal recovery. Do not delay seeking immediate treatment because of concerns about bearing the burden of heavy medical bills. If someone else’s negligence causes an accident, their insurance must cover your medical bills.
