Why Seeing a Doctor ASAP is Critical After an Injury
In the immediate aftermath of an accident, many individuals are in a state of shock which can mask injuries and potentially even cloud judgement. This is the same phenomenon which can allow athletes to “play through the pain” of injuries which would certainly keep them from participating otherwise. Whether you have been in a motor vehicle accident, construction accident, injured by a defective product, slip and fall accident, or any type of accident, seeing a doctor as soon as possible is always a great idea.
Our attorneys will discuss why this is an essential step after an accident, particularly regarding personal injury claims. Contact our offices today if you or a loved one has been injured in an accident to discuss potential financial compensation in a free and confidential consultation.
Ensuring Your Health After an Accident in Passaic County, NJ
The first and most important reason to see your doctor after an accident is to receive necessary medical treatment. Regardless of your legal standing in terms of insurance claims, personal injury claims, workers’ compensation claims, etc, your physical wellbeing should be priority number one. There is no reason to put off getting checked out by a medical professional who can diagnose and treat injuries you may have sustained.
With many serious injuries, particularly soft tissue injuries, brain injuries, and electrocution injuries, the symptoms may not present immediately. For example, whiplash, a common result of car accidents, is the result of a soft tissue injury to the neck area which often gets enflamed, sore, and immobile after many days or even weeks have passed.
This can also be true of concussions or other brain injuries, which present with somewhat subtle and difficult to diagnose symptoms including:
- dizziness
- listlessness, exhaustion
- inability to retain new information
- headaches
- clouded vision
- lack of mental clarity and/or focus
Paterson Personal Injury Attorneys Discuss Importance of Quickly Diagnosing Injuries
In addition to receiving high quality medical care, receiving a diagnosis as quickly as possible after an injurious accident is a critical part of the personal injury claims process. To understand why, we need to look at how personal injury claims are won. There are three primary pieces to be proven in any successful personal injury claim:
- You were involved in an accident
- That accident was the direct result of the negligence or recklessness of another party
- You were injured as a direct result of the accident in question
Receiving a medical diagnosis immediately after your injurious accident is the first step towards proving that your injuries were sustained as a direct result of the accident in question. The longer you wait to see a medical professional, the weaker the connection between your injuries and your accident. While it is still possible to prove a connection for individuals who wait, it is significantly more difficult and may even require expert testimony.
For example, let’s say an individual sustains a brain injury in a construction accident from falling off of a crane. After the accident, the victim did not immediately have any symptoms of injury, and assumed he was okay to continue working. Two weeks later, chronic headaches, nausea, and an inability to sleep through the night prevented that person to miss work and eventually see the doctor. A doctor diagnosed the victim with a concussion three weeks after the accident.
If that individual chooses to file a personal injury claim, the insurance company may argue that the symptoms could have been unrelated due to the time period between the accident and the diagnosis. It is much better to get to the doctor as soon as possible to avoid this situation which could potentially weaken your personal injury claim.
Contact our Clifton Personal Injury Lawyers Today
The personal injury lawyers of Fredson & Statmore take pride in serving clients injured in accidents in our local New Jersey communities, including Paterson, Clifton, Wayne, Little Falls, West Milford, Woodland Park and the greater Passaic County region. Our legal team has over 50 years of experiencing winning full and fair compensation in successful settlements and verdicts. If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, contact us online for a free and confidential consultation.