4 Reasons Why You Should Go to the Hospital After a Car Accident

In this article, we explain why you should get a proper medical checkup as soon as possible after a motor vehicle accident, even if you don’t experience any immediate symptoms of an injury

Imagine this scenario. You’re involved in a car accident on your way home from work. The accident gave you quite the scare and your car sustained a lot of damage, but it seems like you have made it through unscathed. Luckily, you know how to act in such situations. You position your car in a safe spot, get out, and make sure no one else needs immediate medical help. You call the police. Then, you document the damage and the immediate surroundings of the accident scene. You make sure to write down personal details of the other driver and any potential witnesses so that everything can be included in the Albuquerque police report. After all of that is done and you talked to the police, you know that there is one more thing you should probably do before heading home. You should go to the nearest ER to make sure you’re really OK. But apart from a little dizziness, you seem to feel just fine. Can you skip the visit to the hospital and just go home or should you get evaluated by a doctor anyway?

Many people would feel tempted to ignore the need to get a medical checkup after an accident, especially if they experience no apparent injury or if the injuries they sustained seem minor. However, regardless of circumstances, seeking medical attention should be a priority whenever a person is involved in a car crash. In this article, we present 4 reasons why you should get a checkup from a doctor even if your injuries seem insignificant.

Adrenaline Rush

A car crash is a high stakes situation that causes a high level of excitement in the body. As a result, the brain floods the body with adrenaline to make sure we will be able to deal with the situation effectively. Thus, in the aftermath of an accident, we experience an adrenaline rush while simultaneously our pain receptors are numb with endorphins. The levels of these natural chemicals in our body will, however, subside after a couple of hours. This means that you may start experiencing the symptoms of your injuries only after some time has passed and, in the meantime, you may aggravate them.

Soft Tissue Injuries May Seem Minor at First

Soft tissue refers to organs other than bones such as muscle and tendons. Soft tissue is at risk of sustaining serious damage when it is subjected to the sudden and violent forces released at the moment of collision. A soft tissue injury may not be apparent, yet can lead to serious long-term health complications. For example, a whiplash injury – referring to the trauma to muscles and tendons surrounding your neck after a sudden back-and-forth movement – if untreated, can cause severe headaches, difficulty sleeping, or even numbness in the arms or legs. The faster you get a proper diagnosis, the faster you can begin treatment and spare yourself long-term health hazard.

Concussion May Seem Minor at First

Concussions happen when the brain strikes the inner side of the skull with a great force following a sudden impact. Just like in the case of soft tissue injuries, the symptoms of a concussion may not appear immediately. Nevertheless, a concussion is a serious medical issue that should not be underestimated. Untreated, it can cause not only long-term physical problems – such as headaches – but also mental ones. For example, people who have experienced concussion often experience a drop in their cognitive abilities. Such problems can become long-term if a concussion victim doesn’t receive proper and timely medical attention. Therefore, you should never ignore symptoms such as “slight dizziness” mentioned a the beginning of the article. Other symptoms of a concussion include:

• Headache
• Temporary loss of consciousness
• Confusion
• Amnesia
• Ringing in the ears
• Nausea or vomiting

Not Seeing a Doctor Can Affect Your PI Claim

If you plan to hire an Albuquerque car accident lawyer to file a personal injury claim against a person who was at fault in the accident, a proper medical checkup is instrumental in properly recording the scope and the seriousness of your injury. All of such details, along with any treatment received or prescribed by the doctors, will go into your medical records and become ironclad evidence in your auto accident claim. This is very important because your chance of recovering financial compensation from an insurance company without incontrovertible proof of your injuries is low.

Seeing a doctor for a medical checkup immediately after an accident is an indispensable step for all accident victims. Its importance must never be underestimated or overlooked even when injuries are not apparent or seem minor. Going to the hospital will help ensure there’s no risk of any long-term health problem and will also increase the chance of a successful personal injury claim. Don’t wait until it is too late to see a doctor after a car accident. Delays in treatment can not only put your health at risk, but can also affect your personal injury claim.