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You have just been in a car accident in Kansas City!! You are confounded, bewildered, or even fearful of legal consequences and you do not think anything is wrong with your body. In stressful situations, these responses can make you feel strong and unharmed temporarily, but this means you may not be fully capable of realizing your actual physical condition. You may even be thinking of skipping a visit to the doctor’s office. This would be a huge mistake. Without a doctor’s evaluation, injuries could be missed and go untreated.
Because many car accident injuries come from your body being jerked around and/or from your body reacting to being tossed around, even a small fender bender can leave your body injured. Injuries can be slow to reveal themselves, taking days or even weeks for symptoms to appear.
No matter how small the accident was, you should seek a medical evaluation immediately.
While you might notice a facial injury, a cut, or a puncture to your abdomen, you may not realize a neck injury. Depending on how you are feeling, you could be experiencing an “invisible injury” such as:
You could start to experience pain days or even weeks after the accident, which may be associated with a problem that could have been diagnosed right after the accident. Doctors know what to examine to ensure everything is fine. Your physician and the staff will check your blood pressure and may advise you about any warning signs and symptoms that you need to be on the lookout for.
There are three main tests you should know about following an accident: X-rays, MRIs, and CT-scans. Each has its own benefits in diagnosing your injuries, but not all may be necessary.
Most doctors are likely to order at least an X-ray to check for any hidden fractures or other damage.
However, the medical practitioner is likely to order more advanced imaging procedures, such as a CT (computed tomography), or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) which can detect herniated discs, muscle tears, organ injuries, brain injuries and more detailed soft tissue damages.
Delayed or Failure to Seek Medical Immediate Evaluation Could Lead to Loss of Compensation
One of the major reasons for seeking immediate medical attention after an accident, in addition to protecting your health, is protecting your legal rights and right to compensation. Waiting several days or weeks after the accident to seek medical attention can make it be much harder to prove that your injuries were the result of the car crash.
If your injuries were caused by a negligent driver, you may be able to seek compensation up to their policy limit for all your medical expenses, lost wages, mental anguish, and pain and suffering.
But receiving that settlement does not come easy after a collision. Insurance companies often fight paying out damages to injured parties, even when the at-fault driver was clearly negligent.
The insurance company could argue that your injuries are not significant or not even related to the accident because you delayed the doctor’s visit. If you do not have a medical report showing that your injuries are due to the car accident, you may lose the ability to receive the adequate amount of compensation you truly deserve.
When should I contact an accident attorney for help and how much do I have to pay?
You should contact a lawyer immediately after your accident. The statute of limitations starts to run from the date of your accident. Working with an experienced Kansas City attorney can make the difference in obtaining maximum compensation for your injury claim. Our skilled attorneys will advise you of the steps you need to take following the auto accident and can also recommend a few experienced medical professionals to ensure you receive thorough evaluation and treatment after the crash.
