Should You Go to the Hospital After a Car Accident?

In 2023, 738 individuals died in car accidents in South Carolina. While traffic accidents occurred every 3.6 minutes in 2021 in South Carolina, these incidents resulted in injuries approximately every 14.4 minutes. Should I go to the hospital after a car accident? This is a question you may have asked yourself after a minor accident. At Braithwaite McMillian Grimes we can help you answer this question.

What Signs Signify That You Should Go to the Hospital?

Warning signs after a car accident may include the following:

Headaches
Pain
Swelling
Range of motion limitations
Unexplained weakness

You may find it difficult to lift things or bear your weight. You could also experience tenderness, bleeding, numbness, difficulty breathing,

Also, look for signs of cognitive issues or head injuries, including:

Dizziness
Amnesia
Difficulty concentrating
Blurry vision
Nausea
Dizziness

Go to the doctor if you experience tingling, back pain, or ear ringing. When deciding whether to go to the hospital after a car accident, pay close attention to your body. If things just don’t seem right, seek medical attention.

What Doctor Should You See After a Car Accident?

Even if you do not see an injury or feel injured after an accident, you should get checked out by a medical professional. However, you should see different medical professionals for different types of injuries.

Primary care doctors

If you don’t feel like you received any injuries, you should still see your primary care physician. These professionals can treat minor injuries, such as cuts to prevent infection and conduct diagnostic testing.

Urgent care physicians

When you leave the scene of an accident, you may wonder if you should go to the hospital after a car accident.

However, you could begin feeling pain or watch bruising appear after your adrenaline wears off. If your injuries don’t seem severe, go to an urgent care center.

Emergency room doctors

If you experience significant injuries during the accident, go to the emergency room. If you have broken bones or spinal cord, back, or brain injuries, have the EMTs at the scene take you or have someone else drive you there immediately. These facilities have life-saving equipment and knowledgeable medical staff that can handle life-changing injuries. Emergency rooms typically have access to surgeons and specialists who can treat you right away.

Specialists

You will often see a specialist after your PCP, urgent care, or emergency room visit. These professionals have specialized knowledge of and experience with different parts of the body. For example, you may see a pain specialist for chronic pain management, an orthopedic surgeon for broken bones, torn ligaments, and other joint injuries, or a neurologist for spinal cord and brain injuries. Specialists can conduct more thorough testing so they can treat you more effectively.

Once your physicians create a treatment plan, these medical professionals will monitor your progress, record your adherence to the plan, and adjust your treatments as necessary. Avoid missing appointments because this shows the insurance company that you have injuries and you want to recover.

How Can You Be Sure About Whether You Should Get Medical Treatment After a Car Accident?

If you do not feel injured or see injuries, you may still wonder if you should go to the hospital after a car accident.

Because your body may not recognize pain and injuries right away, you should always seek medical attention as quickly as possible. Even if the incident did not leave you injured, it is best to find out for sure.

Do not leave injuries untreated because they can become worse as time passes. In addition to a faster recovery, gaining immediate medical help can bolster your legal case.

What If You Didn’t Go to the Doctor After a Crash?

During the accident, you may ask an EMT if you should go to the hospital after a car accident. If you do not feel or see any injuries, you may also decide not to go. If you did not immediately seek medical care, the insurance company may question whether you received an injury during the accident. This could result in a claim dispute or denial, which could delay or prevent you from gaining compensation for your recovery.

You may wonder how long after a car accident can you go to the hospital. Most insurance companies feel that 72 hours is a reasonable timeframe and may question whether your injuries are the result of your accident if you wait much longer. However, you can still seek legal counsel, negotiate a settlement, or file a lawsuit even if you didn’t seek medical attention right away.

How Can a Car Wreck Attorney Help You Take on Car Accident Insurance Claims?

After deciding whether to go to the hospital after a car accident, you should speak with our personal injury attorney, who can walk you through the claim process. The Braithwaite McMillian Grimes legal team can do the following:

File your accident claim with the insurance company
Act as a liaison between you and the insurance company
Help you build a strong case by gathering evidence and investigating the incident
Negotiate a settlement or file a personal injury lawsuit

You should have an advocate who represents you and protects your interests during this process.

How Do I Build a Legal Case for a Car Accident?

Questioning if you should go to the hospital after a car accident can impact your personal injury claim. However, you can still build a legal case by collecting the following evidence:

Accident report and photos or videos taken of the incident and at the scene
Eyewitness statements
Medical records, including future treatment requirements
Crash-related expenses, including loss of income, medical costs, and property damage repair costs
Disability or reduction in work and earnings ability

You may also have non-economic damages, such as scarring, disfigurement, and pain and suffering.

Discuss Your Next Steps With an Aiken Car Accident Lawyer

So, back to your question: Should I go to the hospital after a car accident? At Braithwaite McMillian Grimes, we know the answer is yes. We can also guide you in the steps you need to take to recover from your accident, starting with getting medical treatment and filing your insurance claim.