After an automobile accident, you have to take medical action – not just legal action – to get compensation. This is also essential to your health and to treating injuries that may be serious. However, there are many post-accident medical decisions you can make that can significantly jeopardize your ability to recover damages. If you’ve been injured in an accident, a Mableton, Georgia car wreck attorney can guide you on what to do next.
We frequently tell our clients to seek immediate medical attention after an accident. This is true even if the wreck does not seem that bad. Many conditions which do not appear serious at first can worsen over time. And some do not even manifest themselves until later. The sooner that injuries are diagnosed, the more likely it is that you can recover compensation for them.
These are just a few conditions which may have delayed symptoms:
- Concussion
- Whiplash
- Head injury
- Brain injury
- Blood clots
- Herniated discs
- Emotional and mental pain and suffering
Since these injuries and conditions may not show up at first, a medical professional needs to examine you right away; therefore, it is wise to see a doctor even if you think the accident was minor.
If you have been in an accident, the driver’s insurance company will be involved in one form or another. You should always hire a Mableton, Georgia accident attorney before speaking with an insurer. Remember, insurance companies are businesses, and they profit more when they pay out less for accidents. The insurance company is going to look for any excuse possible to deny your claim or reduce its payout. One way to make their job easier, and yours more difficult, is to delay treatment after an accident.
The more time that passes following an accident, the more likely it is that intervening causes can explain your pain. For example, if you waited a year after your accident before claiming pain in your neck, so much can happen during that year that it would be basically impossible to connect your pain to the accident.
But you don’t have to delay your treatment that long to give the insurance company this easy opening. Any delay will cause the insurer to blame something else or dispute your Mableton, Georgia attorney’s claims. Delays also allow the insurance company to argue that if you were really hurt you would have sought treatment sooner. Even if you had a good reason for the delay, it’s harder to convince a jury how bad you’re suffering. Don’t hand this argument to the insurance company. See a doctor immediately after a car accident.
Your doctor may recommend a course of treatment following your injury, or schedule follow-up appointments. Keep this simple rule in mind: follow all doctor’s orders. See any recommended specialists and follow all suggested treatments. Don’t miss appointments. And, be sure you let your Mableton, Georgia automobile accident attorney know what’s going on with your recovery.
Finally, one of the worst things you can do after an accident is fail to disclose pre-existing conditions. Let your Mableton, Georgia accident attorney know about these right away. Let’s say you have a prior back injury and do not disclose it after an accident. If the insurance company learns of this, your credibility goes out the window. How do they know, after all, that you’re not simply suffering the same pain you had before the wreck? Tell your attorney about any pre-existing conditions.
Don’t Let Post-Accident Medical Decisions Ruin Your Case, Call Schneider Hammers
You only get one chance to recover after an automobile accident. Missteps along the way can diminish your trustworthiness and make it much harder to win. You’re dealing with seasoned legal and insurance professionals on the other side. You need someone in your corner who will fight for you. Let our Georgia based personal injury law firm demand the compensation you deserve.
