After the initial shock of a crash has passed, the question is, “what do I do now?”. Car accidents can be extremely disorienting and most people are unsure of what they should do if they have suffered any car accident injuries. While getting yourself out of harm’s way and making sure that you are not in life threatening condition should be your immediate concerns, the steps you take in the following days and weeks can be crucial.
We all know that car accidents can lead to serious injury which is why it is so important to seek medical care from specialists who know how to diagnose and treat car accident injuries. If your injuries require surgery, going in for a surgical consultation sooner rather than later can not only help you recover faster but also help get your bills covered through insurance.
Seek Medical Attention First
The first thing to do after a car accident is to make sure you and anyone else involved in the collision are alive and not in life-threatening condition. You should try to get your car to the side of the road if possible or turn your hazard lights on if not as a warning to other drivers.
Next, you should contact the police to report the incident and request an ambulance if anyone is in need of immediate medical attention. Once the safety and wellbeing of everyone have been seen to, make sure to record all the pertinent information you will need for any type of insurance claim, such as:
- Driver’s name and passenger’s name
- Makes and models of any vehicles involved
- Insurance information
- License plate numbers
- Witness contact information
- Police officer contact information
- Take pictures of the scene
After you have left the scene of the accident, it is time to schedule a consultation with a specialist to be medically evaluated. You should always get a medical examination after a car accident, even if you do not feel injured. The adrenaline produced during an accident can mask symptoms of injuries for hours or even days after a crash and you may not even know you have been hurt.
There are three other important reasons to seek medical attention right away:
- If you leave a gap of time between the accident and getting treated, insurance companies will try to use this gap to claim that either your injuries were not so severe, or that your injuries were caused by another accident sustained after the car crash.
- Allowing some injuries to go untreated quickly can make recovery more difficult and may lead to more internal scarring and a worse outcome.
- You may not be eligible to use your PIP benefits if you wait longer than 14 days after the accident to get medical treatment.
Your Primary Care Physician
Many people are under the misconception that they should go see their primary care physician following a car accident. This is not the case.
Your primary care physician is probably an excellent doctor, but their focus and training lie in internal medicine, not diagnosing and treating spinal injuries, concussions, broken bones, or other car accident-related injuries. Chances are your primary care physician will end up referring you to a specialist anyway.
You may still want to contact your primary care physician following a car accident injury to discuss your injuries so that they may refer you to the appropriate specialist. Another reason primary care physicians typically do not see their patients for car accident-related injuries is that they are not set up to accept payment through personal injury protection (PIP) policies.
Seeing A Specialist
Seeking out a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating the type of injuries associated with car crashes, such as spine injuries, can have a number of benefits for your treatment and any potential insurance claim. Some types of specialists you may consider visiting for a consultation after an accident include:
- Neurosurgeons
- Orthopedic surgeons
- Physiatrists
- Neurologists
- Chiropractors
These specialists will usually have experience treating patients who have sustained serious injuries due to a car accident. Specialists know how to take extremely detailed documentation of your injuries and the treatment you will receive. This documentation can have a huge impact on the valuation of an insurance claim.
Specialists will put together comprehensive records regarding your injuries that include information, such as:
- Detailed reports of what happened during the accident
- Complete records of any pre-existing injuries or conditions you had before the accident
- Records of what they believe caused your injuries and if any pre-existing conditions were worsened by the accident
- A complete list of any diagnostic or medical tests performed (MRIs, X-Rays, nerve compression tests)
- Any prescriptions for physical therapy, occupational therapy, vocational rehabilitation, etc.
- A list of any other specialists you were referred to for further evaluation
- Documentation of the severity of your injuries and whether or not they may be permanent
- Recommendations on any future treatment you will likely need as a result of the accident
- Their opinion of what effect your injuries will have on your ability to work, enjoy life, and perform daily tasks
Not only will a specialist help to ensure that you receive the proper medical attention to treat your injuries, but their detailed documentation of your injuries will help insurance companies and personal injury attorneys accurately calculate the value of your claim. This can help protect you in the event of serious injury that requires more expensive medical care or alters your ability to earn income.
How To Find The Right Doctor
Finding the right doctor to treat your specific injuries is a crucial part of recovering from a car accident. You want to work with an injury doctor who has experience with the type of injury you have sustained and knows how to treat it.
A primary care physician can be a good resource for you when you are trying to find the right specialist to visit. You should not rely on your primary care physician for treatment, but you can discuss your injuries with them and ask them to refer you to the proper specialist.
If you have hired a personal injury attorney following an accident, they can be another great resource for finding the right injury doctor to treat you. Your lawyer wants you to get the most out of your claim and will make sure to refer you to a specialist who can help treat you and knows how to keep detailed records to bolster your case.
Be sure to avoid using doctors from legal referral services, such as Ask Gary or 411 Pain. Doctors who work with these services have a bad reputation for decreasing the value of your claim and using up your PIP insurance. This can also hurt your case if it goes to trial as defense attorneys for insurance companies will use it against you and the jury will usually award you less money.
Disclose All Pre-Existing Conditions With Your Doctor
Once you have found the right injury doctor to evaluate you, be sure to disclose any pre-existing injuries or conditions you had before the accident. Not only will this help your doctor better understand and treat your injuries, but it will also strengthen your claim with insurance companies.
Drivers in Florida with pre-existing injuries or conditions are typically entitled to more for their recovery than drivers who were completely healthy before an accident. People who suffer from pre-existing conditions are much easier to hurt and often have a more difficult road to recovery after a car accident.