If you have had the misfortune of being the victim of an automobile accident in Arizona or California, hopefully you were able to walk away from the accident without any bodily injury. However, if you have sustained an injury as a result of the accident, it is imperative that you follow the doctor’s orders.
Jonathan Negretti, a personal injury attorney and founder of Negretti & Associates, explains why it is important to seek professional medical care following a car accident.
Reasons why to see a doctor following an accident and comply with their recommendations:
- Immediate evaluation: Even if you don’t see or experience pain right after the accident, your physician should still give you an exam. Often, car accident victims feel worse the day after the accident. If you don’t seek immediate medical care following the accident, insurance adjusters may argue that the pain you feel as a result of the accident may have resulted from an unrelated event.
- Go by ambulance: At the scene of the accident, if first responders recommend that you seek medical assistance at a hospital and suggest an ambulance, it is best to go by ambulance. Insurance companies will try to use the fact that you didn’t go by ambulance against you.
- Timing matters: The longer you wait for medical care, the more difficult it may be to connect your injuries to the accident.
- Keep your appointments: Do your best to attend every medical appointment you make. This especially includes physical therapy.
- Articulate the pain: Each time you visit with your doctor or physical therapist, be very clear about the pain you are experiencing. He or she will document your symptoms in medical records. If you do not tell your doctor about your pain, it will not be documented.
- Explain how it happened: When meeting with a doctor or medical professional, be sure to explain how the accident happened. Be sure to be truthful with your doctor about any previous injury you had to the same body part.
- Follow the doctor’s orders: Fill and take all medications as prescribed, participate in suggested physical therapy, and follow your trusted doctor’s recommendations.
For more information about the personal injury attorneys at Negretti & Associates, please call us for a free consultation.