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When To Seek Medical Attention For Personal Injury

After a car accident, it's natural to feel a bit overwhelmed.

Your first instinct may be to try to minimize the gravity of the situation; however, it's important to understand that it's possible to have sustained a personal injury—even if you feel fine at first.

Continue reading to discover when it's important to seek a doctor's care, and why medical attention is important to your health and your claim.

When to Seek Medical Attention

Symptoms of a serious injury are not immediately visible. The following are all signs of personal injury that can occur immediately after an accident or appear several days or even weeks later:

  • Pain.
  • Numbness.
  • Dizziness.

Therefore, when seeking medical attention after a personal injury, it's important to see a doctor as soon as possible for 2 major reasons:

  1. The longer you wait after the car accident, the more difficult it will be to prove that any injuries you sustained were the result of the car crash.
  2. You put your health and well-being at higher risk the longer you go without receiving medical attention.

While you're waiting to see the doctor:

  • Take pictures of any bruises, cuts, scrapes, or other visible injuries.
    • Don't worry too much about the quality of the pictures.
    • Pictures taken with a smart phone provide good evidence.
  • Document any pain or other symptoms.

Once you see your doctor, be sure to document medical expenses―both immediate and ongoing―as evidence for the car insurance company or your personal injury attorney (if you have one).

NOTE: Please remember, in any emergency situation (especially life-threatening or severe injury related situations), you should always seek immediate emergency assistance.

When Your Child Is Injured in a Car Accident

If you are a parent, you should always have your child examined by a medical professional after an auto accident. Young children can't communicate their feelings very well, so relying on your child to tell you what is wrong is not the best course of action.

Even if your child seems fine, symptoms of personal injury may not be immediately apparent.

NOTE: After a car accident, remember that you will also need to have your child car seat or booster seat replaced. Even if the device shows no signs of visible damage, the force of the impact could have caused small cracks in the material.

Auto Accidents and Pregnant Women

Car accidents are frightening regardless of when they occur, but a crash can be especially traumatic for pregnant women. They are are susceptible after accidents to:

  • Miscarriage.
  • Pre-term labor.
  • Placental abruption.

Seeking a medical evaluation is always recommended if you are pregnant and involved in an auto accident with personal injury.

Depending on the severity of the accident and how far along you are in your pregnancy, your doctor will tell you what the best course of action is. However, you should always be on the lookout for the following symptoms after a car accident:

  • Loss of consciousness.
  • Vaginal bleeding.
  • Pain in the abdomen.
  • Faintness or dizziness.
  • Vomiting.
  • Not being able to feel the baby move.

Always remember, it never hurts to be seek medical attention after a car accident. This will keep you healthy and will help you settle your car insurance claim more quickly.

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