The entire purpose of this series is to help you be mentally prepared for the immediate aftermath of an automobile accident. There is an old saying that “forewarned is forearmed” and that is the entire idea behind these articles.
Insurance companies are in business to make money, not help people and they have buildings full of lawyers who live for nothing more than keeping money in the company coffers and out of your pocket.
They will exploit even the tiniest mistake, you make, to their advantage and never lose a minute’s sleep over it. That is why these articles are important to help you ‘NOT’ make those mistakes.
Injuries Resulting From Accidents
We are actually jumping slightly ahead here, but I wanted to stay on subject and will backtrack later.
In the last article we discussed why it is so important for you to never say you are uninjured at the scene of an accident. In this piece we will talk about something closely related, the importance of getting a full medical exam as soon as possible, after the accident occurs.
Delayed Reactions
The body has many ways of defending itself in stressful situations, from the classic fight or flight reflex to a complete array of physical systems designed to allow us to continue functioning even when injured.
Natural pain killers and stimulants can be released into the body. Swelling and bruising can be postponed and in extreme cases even damaged deep tissues can continue to function. The human body is a magnificent machine when it comes to compensating for injuries.
What this can mean, in the aftermath of an auto accident, is that you may be hurt and still not know it for days or with some types of nerve damage even weeks afterward.
Unfortunately, many of these injuries can also only be detected with specific medical tests. They could go completely unnoticed in the cursory emergency room exam that usually follows an accident.
Full Physical
This means that you should first go to the ER to be checked out and then schedule a full physical as soon as possible.
The longer the delay between the accident and the discovery of an injury the happier the insurance company’s lawyers are going to be and the harder it is going to be for your personal injury attorney to prove your case.
Why Insurance Lawyers Love Waiting
The longer you wait for a medical exam, the easier it will be for the defense lawyers to say their client isn’t at fault.
That you:
- Are lying about being injured.
- Sustained the injury somewhere else.
- Have been talked into thinking you’re injured.
All of which are scenarios that they are very good at selling to a jury and could cost you major money and pain.
Let’s review this because it is of major importance to your possible future.
- Never say you are “OK”.
- Go to the ER immediately after the accident.
- Get a full physical as soon as possible.
This may seem like a lot of trouble over something that could be nothing, but what if you have damage to a joint that will require surgery or nerve damage that will take months or years of physical therapy to overcome. If you can’t prove it is related to the accident, you will either be footing the bills yourself or suffering needlessly. Neither of these is a pleasant prospect when you could have the treatment you need and are entitled to, at the cost of a few hours spent with a qualified physician.