- Car Accidents
In some car accidents, it’s obvious that you’ve been hurt. Perhaps you suffered a broken bone or laceration and can see that you’ve been injured. In other cases, you don’t realize that you’ve suffered car accident injuries until days or even weeks later. The question is – can you still seek help from an Atlanta treatment center for these delayed injuries?
Not All Car Accident Injuries Are Apparent Immediately
Usually, when the ambulance and EMTs arrive at an accident scene, it’s quite obvious that a person needs medical treatment. They may be unconscious or unable to move. Some accident victims are in physical distress in the moments after the accident.
Other times, it’s not so clear that someone has been injured. You could walk away from the crash thinking everything’s fine. It isn’t until a day or two later that you realize your injuries are more serious than you thought they were.
Many people may experience delayed neck pain and back pain after a car accident.
What Are Some of the More Obvious Car Accident Injuries?
When the police and EMTs arrive on the scene, they’ll assess the people involved to see who’s hurt. The people with the most serious injuries will be taken to the hospital first. Then, the others will be transported as well.
Some of the injuries that attract the most attention include the following:
- Broken bones and lacerations
- Burn injuries
- Severe neck injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
One of the reasons that neck injuries and spinal cord injuries are so apparent is that the victim is usually not conscious. Or, if they are, they are not mobile.
You Need to Go to the Emergency Room Immediately Following Your Car Crash
One thing your Atlanta car accident lawyer will tell you is that you have to call 911 immediately after the crash. The police will come to the scene and arrange for an ambulance to come as well.
It’s important that you go to the hospital, regardless of whether you think you’re hurt. Some of the injuries that accident victims aren’t aware of include:
- Concussions
- Internal injuries
- Traumatic brain injury
- Back injuries
- Nerve damage
- Whiplash
- Organ damage
- Internal bleeding
Several of these injuries can prove fatal if left untreated. For most of the others, if the accident victim never seeks treatment at an Atlanta treatment center, they could end up with long-term medical issues.
It’s Important That You Undergo a Variety of Diagnostic Tests
When a new patient comes into our Atlanta injury center, we always like to do a thorough assessment. It’s important that we know what injuries you’ve sustained before we even think about writing a care plan for you.
The best way to do this is to have you undergo a host of standard diagnostic tests right away. These tests include but are certainly not limited to the following:
- X-rays
- CT scans
- MRI
- Ultrasounds
- Neurological examination
- Physical examination
Depending on what these tests reveal, we will develop a personalized treatment plan for your recovery.
Waiting to Seek Treatment Can Hurt Your Car Accident Case
If you wait to get treatment for your injuries, it can hurt your chances of winning an insurance settlement or a lawsuit. The defendant is going to argue that something other than the car accident caused your injuries.
For example, if you suffer a back injury on September 1 and don’t seek medical care until October 1, the other driver’s lawyer will claim that something happened during that month that caused your injuries. Otherwise, why didn’t you go to a doctor right away?
The other reason you don’t want to wait too long to seek medical care is that it can hurt your demand for damages. If your car accident lawyer has to sue the other driver, they’ll need to prove that they were at fault.
If the defendant can convince a judge or jury that your damages would have been much lower if you sought medical care, it can negatively impact your case. It’s just a good idea, all around, that you visit an Atlanta treatment center as soon as possible after your accident.
We Suggest You Meet With a Practitioner at Our Atlanta Treatment Center
If you’ve been injured in a car accident, you owe it to yourself to seek medical care right away. It doesn’t matter what kind of car accident injuries you’ve sustained. You need to visit an Atlanta treatment center right away after the crash.
We suggest you contact our facility at 404-687-9000 and schedule your initial assessment. Come into the office and undergo the necessary diagnostic tests to determine the nature and extent of your car accident injuries.
