Car Accident Injuries and Medical Needs

After you have left the scene of the accident, pay attention to the way you feel for the next several hours and the next few days. Many injuries to muscles, tendons, and ligaments are not immediately painful, but will be within several hours or even several days of the accident. If you start to feel significant pain anywhere, you should consider going to an emergency room or urgent care center. If your pain does not cause you that level of concern, you will want to schedule an appointment with your primary care doctor as soon as possible for a proper examination of your injuries. Sometimes even accidents that seemed minor result in significant car accident injuries, so there is no reason to take chances with your health. On the other hand, even less severe injuries still need proper treatment to heal well. You and your doctor can decide what treatment regimen is best for your injuries. If your injuries are dominantly to the neck and back (which is common) your doctor will often recommend physical therapy or chiropractic care. If you do not have a regular doctor or a health care plan, there are many physical therapists and chiropractors that are willing to wait until the end of your injury claim to get paid for their services. This is called a medical insurance lien, and may enable you to get care that you need without breaking you financially while the care is ongoing. You should not settle your bodily injury claim with the insurance company while you are still in treatment. There are exceptions to this rule due to certain time-line limitations, called Statutes of Limitations, that will be covered later.