Nobody ever plans on being in a car accident but the reality is that these things sometimes happen. Recent studies show how much of a reality this is, showing there are about three million injuries per year due to vehicle accidents in the U.S. Two major factors contribute to these automobile accidents, wrecks and fender benders. Those two factors are driver error or vehicle malfunction. In the unfortunate event you realize that you got injured in an accident there are certain steps that you should take to ensure that you get on the road to the speedy recovery and that you are compensated appropriately for your injuries. Review the tips and advice below if you got injured in an accident and don’t know where to turn or where to start.
If you find yourself in an accident it is vital that you perform a few first steps. The first step should be to call the police. This will ensure that you get written information about the accident. They will ask other witnesses to make a statement concerning the accident, what happened, and who was at fault for the accident. If you got injured in an accident this information could be very vital later in the process. Even if you don’t feel injured at first, injuries could show themselves within the next few hours or even the next day, so always call the police no matter how you feel and no matter how small you believe the accident was.
A good tip to remember is to never admit fault after an accident. Even if you believe the accident was caused by you, you should never admit it. You should also never decide not to call the police if you are in an accident. Calling the police will provide you with a police statement along with those witness statements to give to insurance if the need arises. Lastly, you should refrain from allowing someone to offer you cash money for any damages done to your car. Even though they are willing to pay you could find yourself sore or injured later that day or even the next day. Without filing through insurance you are then stuck for all medical bills that you may incur. Filing through the insurance ensures payment of medical bills for those who got injured in an accident.
It is important to seek treatment after an accident. Even if your injuries seem minor and they don’t seem that bad, getting checked out is still vital. Going to the emergency room will provide anyone who got injured in an accident an opportunity to be seen by a medical professional and thoroughly evaluated. The medical professionals here can tell if you have internal injuries as well, which is something that you can’t see and sometimes don’t even know that you have until a few hours later. They can perform x-rays to ensure that nothing is broken, and they can direct you to the proper medical professionals is something is broken. They will offer advice and medicine to help with pain if you are injured. If you are a passenger in the vehicle it is still important for you to get checked out as well, for all of the above reasons. This helps eliminate the ability of the insurance company to say that the injuries were caused by something other than the accident. Even if you don’t feel as though you need to go to the emergency room in an ambulance, driving yourself there will still provide proper medical care and a thorough check up to ensure that you are okay, or to address your concerns and offer care and directions for those who got injured in an accident.
When you go to the emergency room, inform them that you are a car accident victim. This will help the team determine the proper way to assess you and the proper tests that must be done. If you are taken by ambulance then typically they already know what to do, but when you drive yourself they may not run the proper tests if you do not inform them. Tell them everything that hurts, even if it is just a minor pain. Don’t be afraid to let them know that something is not right, and listen to their advice. If they advise you follow up with your primary care physician make sure to make an appointment as soon as possible. This will go a long way to show the insurance company that you are compliant, and you want to treat your injuries, which will make it harder for them to deny your claims.
Nobody wants to be injured and no one wants to take time off work in order to heal from those injuries, but for those who got injured in an accident the reality is that it may be necessary. Some injuries heal faster than others, but those slow healing injuries can be a pain and a nuisance. When healing from injuries from an auto accident, there are a few important things that you should remember. One important thing is that your injury will not only take time to heal, but you also may have to take it easy while you heal. This can be just as hard as letting an injury heal. You may need to not use certain parts of your body, you may need to keep certain parts elevated. If your injuries are severe then you may, unfortunately, require surgery to repair the damage. No one wants to go through this, but taking the time to stay still, keep your injured body parts still and follow the doctor’s orders will be the difference between your injuries healing and them causing you pain later down the road. You may feel helpless, you may feel like a burden to others, but remember the healing process is important and vital if you want to be 100%. You may end up needing help recovering. Rehab facilities are sometimes necessary for those who suffer severe injuries from an accident. Physical therapy may be required during your injury or after your injury has had time to heal. Those who deal with back and neck problems can benefit from a chiropractor to help ease the pain. Remember that although no one wants to be still, following doctor’s orders and not using injured body parts and letting them heal will be vital.
Many people think of chiropractors as someone who only works on the neck. The truth is they can help with much more. From ear infections, lung infections and other issues, a chiropractor could surprise you. Although they have gotten somewhat of a bad reputation over the years, there is benefit to their services. Don’t knock a chiropractor without trying them first. You may be completely surprised at the amount of relief they can offer with their services. This can be extremely beneficial to those who are trying to limit the amount of pain medicine they have to take. Certain medications for pain do not allow you to drive or operate heavy equipment, but a chiropractor can provide relief without those medications possibly making you able to return to work sooner after you got injured in an accident rather than later.
You should make sure that while you are at home you are not only taking care of your injuries, but also properly equipped to do so. Make sure that you have all the necessary supplies that may be needed to help you heal as quickly as possible. Those who have suffered serious injuries and require surgical procedures may need a hospital bed frame to keep certain body parts immobilized after surgery in order for it to heal. Waterproof bandages, cleaning solution and antibacterial cream or spray should be kept on hand for any open wounds you may have suffered during the accident. Over the counter pain relievers will help relieve any pain you may feel the day after the accident. Remember just because you don’t hurt immediately after the accident does not mean that you will not hurt the next day. Typically Tylenol and Ibuprofen can be rotated every 4 hours to provide maximum pain relief. As always talk with your doctor before taking anything over the counter. You should discuss the current medications you are taking to make sure that it is safe to take either medicine or even prescription pain medicine if you were prescribed those. If you need items such as a sling or crutches many times the emergency room provides those to individuals who got injured in an accident, but you may find other apparatuses work better. Instead of crutches, you may prefer the knee scooter to help keep weight off your foot but allow you to move easily. If this is the case it is best to gather these items as soon as possible, as you could be in more pain the day following your accident rather than the day of. Ensuring that you have all the necessary supplies will help the healing process go as smoothly as possible.
Remember that when you go to the emergency room, they are not as familiar with you as your family doctor is, therefore they may not be aware of all the medicines that you take on a regular basis. Sometimes if you need pain medicine there, they could administer something that could potentially react with your current medicines that you already take. It is extremely important for you to tell them all of the medicines that you take on a regular basis, even over the counter medicines and natural supplements and vitamins. This can help them make the best decision regarding pain management. If you take a number of medicines on a regular basis then having a card near or behind your driver’s license in your wallet can help. Be sure to update it regularly with your current medicines, any health conditions you may have and who your primary care doctor is. This can greatly help the medical team, especially if the amount of pain your in, or your injuries affects you being able to remember all your medicines or affects you being able to communicate with the emergency room team.
If that accident was not your fault then you want to ensure that certain things get paid for by the other driver’s insurance. Things such as car repairs and medical care should not be your responsibility, they should be paid for by insurance of the other driver, but sometimes that’s not always the case. Many times insurance companies barely cover the medical costs leaving those who got injured in an accident wondering what they’re going to do. In these cases, it might be best to look for an auto accident attorney. Finding an attorney can help get everything you deserve and help keep the insurance company from offering a low offer to settle. Although many people don’t want to have to hire an attorney, sometimes that’s your only option in order to be compensated fairly.
Many people are not aware that one of the things insurance companies pay for is time off of work for injuries or to recover from injuries. If you have an experienced attorney, they can fight for everything that you are entitled to, even things that you aren’t aware of. Although it may not seem necessary to hire an attorney, you can be sure to get fairly compensated for everything rather than what the other insurance company chooses to compensate you for.
Getting injured in an auto accident is never fun for anyone, and many people suffer when you find out you got injured in an accident. The insurance company of the other driver is now responsible for paying many aspects of your injury. You may find yourself out of work for a while along with having numerous doctor visits that you now have to go to. Your job will surely suffer from not having you there for a short or an extended period of time. Your bills could suffer from the lack of work, and all of your doctor’s bills could stack up quickly causing unnecessary stress on you and your family. There is never a good time or a bad time for an auto accident injury, but there are certain things that could make the timing much worse, especially if it’s around a busy time for your work or around the holiday season when extra money may be vital for you and your family. Don’t fret if you find yourself injured. Follow these tips, know the law, and remember in the event that you’re not treated fairly, an experienced attorney can not only help you get the money you deserve but also help get the ball rolling to ease some of the stress that’s adding to the stress of you being hurt. They can help get reimbursement for medical bills already paid, and help get reimbursement for time off work, so that you can focus solely on getting better and worry less about your injuries.
