You’ve just been in a car accident. You don’t remember exactly what happened, but you wake up to notice the air bags have gone off. You do a quick scan to make sure nothing is broken or bleeding and then you exit the vehicle. Aside from the damage to your car and the other cars involved, everyone seems all right. You exchange information and decide to skip seeing your doctor. A few days later, you notice you are in pain, but you’ve already informed your insurance adjuster and the other party’s insurance adjuster that you didn’t sustain any injuries.
This situation is very common amongst accident victims. Whether you were involved in a car accident, slip and fall injury, burn accident or snow and ice accident, our Waterbury personal injury attorney explains why you should always see a doctor after an accident.
What happens if I wait to see my doctor after an accident?
If you were injured and you wait to see your doctor until weeks after the accident, your insurance adjuster and the negligent party’s insurance adjuster could argue that you sustained your injury after the accident. You will have the burden of proving there was no way for you to sustain this type of injury from any other incident other than your accident. The claims adjuster will use this failure to seek medical attention until well after the accident as leverage for you to be compensated less.
Additionally, closed-head injuries, such as concussions other traumatic brain injuries may not display their symptoms for weeks or even months after your accident. A trained doctor can take x-rays, conduct an MRI and run other tests to make sure you have not suffered a traumatic brain injury after your accident.
If you experience these symptoms, visit your doctor right away:
- Mood swings or changes in behavior
- Difficulties remembering things
- Trouble completing basic tasks
- Blurred vision, headaches or slurred speech
- Excessive sleepiness or desire to sleep
Get Our Help with Your Claim
If you did wait till after you accident to see a doctor, there is still hope you will be able to recover compensation for your injuries. Contact our Waterbury personal injury lawyer today to discuss your case.