Should I Seek Medical Attention After a Car Accident Even If I Feel Fine?

If you feel fine after a car accident, you’re likely counting your blessings rather than thinking too much about personal injury claims or compensation.

However, the steps you take immediately after an accident are important and can greatly affect your health, well-being, and finances, especially if you initially begin to experience pain or realize you sustained an injury in the days and weeks following the accident.

Seeking prompt medical attention after a car accident in Kansas is essential because even if you feel like you escaped injury, this may not be the case. Here’s what else you need to know.

What happens if you’re involved in a car accident, walk away uninjured, go home and sleep fine but wake up the next day in pain?

Complications from car accidents can arise hours or even days later in the form of internal injuries or whiplash. You may then decide to file a personal injury claim for your injuries against the at-fault party but will find it more challenging to claim full and fair compensation if you did not receive immediate medical attention.

In order to receive compensation for your injuries, you will need to prove to insurance adjusters that a particular injury or medical condition was caused by the accident. Payment of personal injury claims after a delay in receiving treatment can be disputed or delayed.

The failure to get medical attention after an accident can be costly, with significant legal challenges and health risks posed by a delayed onset condition.

Bottom line? Seek medical attention and get your condition documented by a licensed health professional, even if you think you weren’t injured or initially experience only minimal pain.

Documenting car accident injuries can help you establish a causal link between the car accident and the injuries, pain, and suffering that follow. This is essential if the insurance company of the at-fault party contests the personal injury claim or attempts to lowball the amount of compensation due, which frequently occurs.

Any gaps in medical treatment can be used by the insurance party to argue that your injuries did not result from the car accident or that they are not as severe as you claim.

For these reasons, it’s important to get a medical checkup from a licensed healthcare professional after your accident and follow any recommended treatment plans as closely as possible, including attending follow-up appointments or undergoing x-rays, MRIs, and CT scans that are ordered by your doctor.

These steps will help prevent unforeseen health risks and can also be used as evidence of any injuries you suffered from the accident, even if the symptoms only develop later.

Due to the mechanical forces involved in car accidents, the body often goes into a shock response that can conceal injuries in the immediate aftermath of the accident.

Concealed injuries can sometimes be more serious than immediately apparent injuries because they can affect the brain, muscles, ligaments, or internal organs. Untreated conditions can lead to chronic pain, decreased mobility, permanent disability or even death. That’s why it is so important to receive a complete medical checkup after an accident.

Delayed onset injuries after a car accident often include the following…

Whiplash

Whiplash occurs when the head and neck move quickly back and forth, causing muscle or ligament damage in the neck area. Whiplash may be caused by even a minor car accident, a sports injury or another type of accident and can be extremely painful, limit mobility, and hinder sleep. Neck pain and stiffness usually dissipate after a few days but may take longer in some cases.

Concussions

Concussions are a type of traumatic brain injury (TBI) resulting from the brain being shaken from side to side inside the skull due to the impact forces involved in a car accident, severe fall, blow to the head or other cause. This injury may take time to develop after the shock of a car accident and can lead to a variety of symptoms, including:

• Persistent headaches (which may become severe)
• Dizziness
• Loss of balance
• Memory problems
• Nausea and vomiting
• Sensitivity to light or noise
• Fatigue or drowsiness
• Confusion/difficulty concentrating
• Mood changes or irritability
• Sleep disturbances

Internal injuries

Injuries to vital organs like the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, and so on may not present obvious symptoms at first. However, they can be extremely serious and even life-threatening if left untreated.

Taking the right actions in the immediate aftermath of a car accident can help protect your health, well-being, and legal position…

Get to safety and check for injuries

First, get to safety. That means getting off the road to a safe position, if you are able to. Then, check for injuries. Your next steps will depend on your condition. If you are badly injured, you will need to await medical attention. If you are not seriously injured, be sure to seek a full medical checkup as a priority after leaving the accident scene.

Call the police and exchange information

If in a fit state to do so, you should call the police to the accident scene and exchange contact and insurance information with the other driver(s). The police will gather information and produce a report to support any upcoming legal processes or compensation claims.

Document the accident scene

You can also assist a legal claim by gathering evidence at the scene of the accident. Take pictures or video of the road conditions, the condition of the cars, and any injuries, and get the contact details of any witnesses.

In the aftermath of a car accident caused by a negligent third party, your health and recovery come first. Soon, however, attention usually turns to seeking justice and compensation through a personal injury claim.

Even in cases that may seem “clearcut,” insurance companies in Kansas tend to dig their heels in and deny or lowball claims or delay payments. A personal injury lawyer can be of great assistance in such cases. Seasoned accident lawyers understand the tricks played during compensation claims and are not swayed by these strategies.

We can help you claim the maximum possible compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering from injuries, even if they develop well after the accident.

If you’re in the Topeka area, speak to a car accident lawyer at Irigonegaray & Revenaugh during a free case evaluation. We will advise you of your legal options and assess how best to claim the compensation you deserve.