The Potential Pitfalls of Waiting to Get Medical Care
When you’ve been hurt in an accident and your injuries seem minor, you can have a tendency to try to ignore them or shake them off. Whether it’s sense of false bravado or you simply don’t think you have the time to be hurt or to go through a regimen of care, waiting to get treated is almost always a mistake.
Your Prospects for Full Physical Recovery Are Better If You Seek Immediate Medical Attention
Studies consistently show that the sooner you get treatment for any type of injury, the more options medical providers will have. That significantly improves the odds that you’ll make a full recovery. It can also have a substantial impact on the amount of pain and discomfort you experience as a result of the accident.
You Eliminate the Risk of an Intervening Injury
Suppose you are in an automobile accident and you generally feel okay, but there’s a bit of stiffness in your neck or back. You may have some level of whiplash injury. You ignore the injury, though. Then, a few days later, you’re lifting something heavy at home and you suddenly have sharp pains running from your head to your lower back. It’s probably a result of the auto accident, but when you bring a lawsuit to recover for your injuries, you may have some difficulty proving that it was the car accident (and not the lifting) that caused them.
You Eliminate the Risk that the Defendant Will Argue that Your Injuries Were Insignificant
When you don’t seek medical care after an accident, it suggests that you really weren’t hurt. You may be able to introduce medical evidence at trial that some injuries take time to fully develop, but the jury will still be wondering why you didn’t get treated right away.
Contact Howard D. Popper, P.C.
At Howard D. Popper, P.C., we can help protect your rights. For a free initial consultation to discuss your options after a motor vehicle accident injury, contact our office online or call 973-993-8787 to set up an appointment. We have offices in Morristown and Newton.
We handle all personal injury claims on a contingent fee basis. You won’t pay any attorney fees unless we recover damages for your losses.