After a traumatic event, medical care is a necessity

After a car accident, you may just feel like you want to go home. You’re tired, you feel fine and you’re ready to put today behind you.

While it’s okay to feel that way, it’s the responsible thing to do to go to the hospital immediately after an accident. You should always seek medical treatment right away, because there could be issues that you don’t know about or don’t feel right now.

Traumatic events cause your body to release adrenaline and endorphins. You don’t feel the pain of whiplash or realize the severity of bruising you suffered until those chemicals begin to wear off. At the point, you may have to drive yourself to the hospital or a medical provider. Instead of doing that, just go to the hospital from the scene.

Medical providers are the best judges of your physical condition after a crash. It’s normal to deny that you’re injured or to be in shock and not realize it. It’s always important to get an objective opinion from a medical provider before you go home.

Going to the hospital following a crash also helps your insurance claim. Showing that you knew you may be injured and took the steps to seek medical help is helpful to your case. Since conditions may develop hours or days after a collision, the initial medical care you receive shows that you could be returning for further care later.

If you don’t go to the hospital, you can still make a claim. Whatever you decide, remember to keep your documents, so you can file for compensation.

Source: FindLaw, “To Wait, or Not To Wait!” accessed Dec. 7, 2017