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Any time you are involved in a serious collision, there are two things you should do as soon as possible. One is to talk to a Fort Myers accident lawyer about your legal rights. The other is to seek medical attention from a qualified doctor.

Seeking medical attention after a collision is important for several reasons. This includes reasons related not only to your health but also to your legal rights. In fact, seeing a doctor as soon as possible after a car accident is one of the most important steps you can take to protect your right to proper compensation.

7 Important Reasons to Seek Medical Attention After a Car Accident

Here are seven of the main reasons why you should seek medical attention promptly after a collision:  

1. Pain and Other Symptoms Can Be Signs of Serious Injuries

If you are in pain or experiencing other symptoms after a collision, these could be signs of serious internal injuries. The forces involved in a car accident are more than enough to cause internal trauma in all parts of the body. Along with pain, other common symptoms of traumatic injuries include:

• Bruising and swelling
• Headaches
• Blurred vision
• Ringing in the ears
• Memory loss
• Severe fatigue
• Stiffness or limited mobility
• Trouble going to the bathroom

Even if you are not visibly injured, this does not necessarily mean that everything is okay. You should take your symptoms seriously—and this means seeing a doctor as soon as possible.

2. Pain and Other Symptoms Can Also Mask Serious Injuries

Another reason why it is important to seek medication attention promptly is that pain and other symptoms can often mask serious injuries. For example, if your back hurts too much to move, you may not realize that you are incapable of twisting, sitting, or bending over—all of which can be indicative of various forms of trauma. When you seek medical attention after a collision, your doctor should provide a comprehensive diagnosis, and this should allow you to gain a clear understanding of the full extent of your accident-related injuries.

3. Internal Injuries Do Not Always Trigger Symptoms Right Away

While many types of traumatic injuries have immediate effects, internal injuries do not always trigger symptoms right away. As a result, even if you feel fine (or mostly fine), this does not necessarily mean that everything is okay. With many types of internal injuries, early diagnosis can help to mitigate the risk of long-term (or permanent) complications. By seeking medical treatment promptly, you can make sure that you get the treatment you need as soon as possible.

4. Serious Injuries Can Get Worse Without Prompt Treatment

Regardless of whether an injury has immediate symptoms, any unnecessary delays in treatment could allow the injury to get worse. Broken bones, concussions, soft tissue damage, and organ damage are all examples of common traumatic injuries that may need prompt treatment in order to start the healing process safely.

With certain types of injuries, such as broken bones, allowing the injury to attempt to heal itself can lead to complications and the need for more invasive treatment. With others, such as concussions, lack of treatment can present risks for serious secondary injuries. To avoid these types of risks, the best thing you can do is prioritize your medical treatment.

5. Your Medical Records Will Be Key Evidence in Your Car Accident Claim

If your collision was someone else’s fault, you may be entitled to financial compensation for your medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and other losses. In addition, Florida’s  Personal Injury Protection (PIP) benefits  victims can file fault-based claims for full compensation when they suffer significant or permanent injuries.

If any of your injuries qualify as significant or permanent, your medical records will be key evidence in support of your claim. Provided that you sought treatment promptly, your medical records will reflect the timing and nature of your injuries—and your Fort Myers accident lawyer will be able to use them to seek the full financial compensation you deserve.  

6. The Insurance Companies Will Use Your Failure to Seek Treatment Against You

Conversely, if you do not seek medical attention promptly after a collision, the insurance companies will use this against you. They will argue that your injuries are not a result of the collision—and they will argue that you cannot prove otherwise.

If the insurance companies are not thoroughly convinced that you suffered your injuries in the collision, they will not pay the financial compensation you deserve. So, to make sure you and your Fort Myers accident lawyer can use your medical records to your advantage, you should seek treatment as soon after your car accident as possible.

7. Seeking Medical Attention is the First Step Toward Calculating the Value of Your Claim

In addition to proving that your injuries resulted from the collision, your medical records will also be key to calculating the value of your claim. When you have a claim outside of PIP, you are entitled to proper compensation for your current and future:

• Medical expenses
• Other out-of-pocket costs (i.e., prescriptions and transportation)
• Loss of income and benefits
• Pain, suffering, and emotional trauma
• Loss of companionship, consortium, and enjoyment of life

Documenting your injuries is the first step toward assessing each of these categories of losses. With a clear understanding of your diagnosis and prognosis—and only with a clear understanding of your diagnosis and prognosis—your Fort Myers accident lawyer will be able to comprehensively assess the damages you are entitled to recover.

Learn More from Fort Myers Accident Lawyer Randall L. Spivey

Were you seriously injured in a collision in Florida? If so, the Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. strongly encourage you to contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation about your legal rights. To speak with Fort Myers accident lawyer Randall L. Spivey in confidence as soon as possible, give us a call at 239-337-7483 or statewide at 888-477-4839 or request a free consultation online today at Spiveylaw.com.

Randall L. Spivey is recognized by the Florida Bar as a Board Certified in Civil Trial Lawyer. Certification is the highest level of recognition by the Florida Bar Association of the experience and competency of attorneys in the areas of law approved for certification by the Supreme Court of Florida. Randall L. Spivey and Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., have also received a Preeminent Attorney Rating from Martindale-Hubbell, the highest rating standard, signifying the highest level of professional excellence for legal knowledge, ethical standards, and communication skills. Randall L. Spivey was also selected for Florida Super Lawyers for 2013, 2015-2023. Florida Super Lawyers magazine recognizes outstanding lawyers in Florida for attaining a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.