After being injured in an accident, one of the most important things to do is seek medical care. You should not delay treatment, even if you think your injuries are minor. With certain injuries it can take days or weeks for symptoms to manifest. Getting treatment as soon as possible is critical to both your health and your potential claim for compensation.
At Sigman Janssen, we are prepared to evaluate whether you have a valid claim during a free legal consultation. It costs nothing up front to utilize our services. We only get paid if you obtain a recovery.
May Harm a Potential Insurance Claim
Following an accident, injured victims will likely need to file a claim against the at-fault party’s insurance company or their own, defending on the situation. The insurance company would send a claims adjuster to investigate the claim and make sure that it is valid.
If you claim that you suffered a serious injury, but medical records show that you did not obtain treatment for several days or longer after the accident, the insurance company could use this against you to devalue or deny your claim.
The insurer will assume that by you not seeking immediate medical care, your injuries are not as serious. You do not want the insurance company questioning you for any delay between the time the accident happened and you obtaining treatment.
This could delay the claims process and cause further issues, unless you have documentation that proves that you sought medical care as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the greater the risk of losing out on compensation to help pay for your medical expenses.
Impact Ability to Take Legal Action
If a negligent party or entity caused you harm, you may be eligible to take legal action against him or her to recover any losses. In a personal injury case, you must be able to prove that the other party was negligent and his or her negligence directly resulted in your injury and you suffering damages.
However, if you took too long to obtain medical treatment after your accident, the judge or jury may decide that this act shows that your injuries are not as severe as you claimed. The court could reduce the amount of compensation that would have been afforded to you.
Injury Worsens, Making Treatment More Difficult
Delaying medical treatment could also make an injury worse. Scar tissue can build up over time and some injuries, especially traumatic brain injuries, take days or longer for noticeable symptoms to appear. That is why it is important to see a doctor right away. An internal injury can become critical and life-threatening before it becomes apparent.
If you wait too long for medical care, you run the risk of having a severe medical issue that could have been properly diagnosed soon after the accident. Treatments for soft-tissue damage or traumatic brain damage can require extensive care. The sooner you seek help, the greater your chance of recovery.
An Appleton personal injury lawyer from our firm is here to offer legal help once you obtain medical care and reach the point of maximum medical improvement. Only after treatment ends will we have a better understanding of the full extent of your injuries and the future care you may need.
Why Would Someone Delay Medical Care?
Accident victims may delay medical care for many reasons. They may not realize how badly they are injured and may assume that their symptoms will go away in a short period of time. Other victims may think that going to see a doctor is too costly, so they hope that their condition will improve on its own.
A victim may want to wait until the other party and its insurance company accepts fault for the accident and offers a settlement. In some cases, the injured victim may not seek treatment at all if he or she thinks the claim will not succeed. This is why having an experienced lawyer by your side may be useful.
Do Not Wait to Get the Help You Need
Having prompt medical treatment will not only protect your overall well-being, but it could improve your ability to secure favorable compensation in a claim. Our lawyers at Sigman Janssen are available to review your situation and discuss your legal rights in a complimentary consultation.
You are not obligated to hire our firm, but if you do, you pay us nothing up front unless we obtain compensation for you. We have recovered millions of dollars on behalf of our clients.
Have Questions? Call: (877) 888-5201