At Gebhard Law Office, we often hear from accident injury victims who, because they did not seek medical attention after an accident, find out years later that they will not be able to recover damages from their accidents. It’s unfortunate and all too common.
Here are the three biggest reasons it is important to see a medical professional after an accident:
- Some types of injuries do not produce immediate signs and symptoms. Did you know that you can suffer a traumatic brain injury and not know it? Even if you do not actually hit your head during an accident, your brain can sustain very real injury just from the collision that occurs within your head when your brain hits the inner wall of your skull. Without the help of a skilled medical professional who knows how to spot the early warning signs for common accident injuries like brain trauma and whiplash, you may walk away from your accident with untreated injuries that could worsen or prove fatal.
- Seeking medical attention after your accident proves you took steps to minimize any physical damage you may have sustained. If you need to recover damages for medical expenses or permanent disability due to injuries you sustain in an accident, the court will want to know that you took appropriate precautions and care to minimize your injuries. If the court believes that you neglected to take care of your injuries in a reasonable manner, they could decide that responsibility for the seriousness of your injuries lies with you, and not the person with whom you were in an accident.
- Seeing a doctor proves that you sustained your injuries in the accident and not in some other manner. If you wait weeks to see a doctor about the injuries you receive in an accident, how can the doctor or anyone vouch for the veracity of your claim? This is particularly true when it comes to work accident injury claims, auto accident lawsuits, and premises liability claims. If you are injured through no fault of your own due to someone else’s negligence, it is extremely important that you seek medical attention right away to tie your injuries to the actual accident.
For more information on protecting your rights after an accident, call Milwaukee personal injury attorney Karl Gebhard today for a free consultation.