Can I Still File A Claim If I Didn’t See A Doctor Immediately After My Car Accident?

After a car accident, some people put off seeking medical attention for various reasons. For example, some people do not see a doctor immediately after a car accident because they believe they are uninjured. Unfortunately, delaying seeing a doctor after a car accident can cause problems if you decide to pursue a personal injury claim. But can failing to see a doctor immediately after a car accident prevent you from filing a car accident claim? Fortunately, even if you did not visit a doctor immediately after your car accident, you might still have a car accident case against the party that caused the accident. However, it may be more challenging to recover the compensation you deserve. If you were in a car accident and still haven’t seen a doctor, you should see one as soon as possible.

Importance of Seeing a Doctor Immediately After a Car Accident

It is crucial to seek immediate medical attention after a car accident, even if your injuries appear minor. Even if you think you are uninjured after a car accident, you should seek immediate medical attention. With endorphin release, your after-accident pain may be masked, thus making you believe you are uninjured. Also, symptoms of some injuries take time to manifest. For example, symptoms of a traumatic brain injury may take time to appear. When you see a doctor immediately after a car accident, they can diagnose a condition that has been masked by pain or that takes time to become apparent. Early diagnoses can help you heal faster.

Apart from helping with healing, seeking immediate medical care after a car accident can help prove to the insurance company, once you file your injury claim, that your injury is as severe as you claim. Seeing a doctor immediately after a car accident can help you establish causation. Establishing causation generally entails proving that the negligent party is liable for your injuries. It involves proving that you did not suffer your injuries in another incident.

Seeking immediate medical care after a car accident can help prevent the insurance company from arguing that you failed to take reasonable steps to mitigate damages. In other words, it can prevent the insurance company from arguing that you are responsible for the severity of your injuries and, thus, don’t deserve the amount of money you are seeking. Injured parties have a duty to mitigate damages, and if a person fails to discharge this duty, they cannot recover damages that could have been avoided through reasonable efforts.

Pursuing a Personal Injury Claim After Delaying Seeing a Doctor

While it can be challenging to recover the compensation you deserve in your injury claim after delaying seeing a doctor, it is not impossible. An attorney can work with you to increase your chances of recovering the compensation you deserve. An experienced attorney can help prove your injuries’ severity using other evidence. Using other pieces of evidence, an attorney can help establish a clear link between your injuries and the accident.

Contact Us for Legal Help

Our West Palm Beach personal injury attorneys at The Pendas Law Firm can help you with your claim regardless of whether or not you sought medical attention immediately after your accident. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.

The Pendas Law Firm also represents clients in the Orlando, Ocala, Fort Myers, Fort Lauderdale, Daytona Beach, Bradenton, Tampa, Miami, and Jacksonville areas.

Source:

mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/traumatic-brain-injury/symptoms-causes/syc-20378557