I’m A Little Banged Up, But Nothing Serious. Do I Really Need to See a Doctor?

The first thing you should do following a minor car accident is call the police. All accidents must be reported, and no one should ever trust another driver will hand over their information when they caused an accident with a promise to pay for your medical bills and car repairs if you don’t call the police. It’s just not the way things work, and it’s going to cause you far more damage than help. Stick around, call the police, and still get the information from the other driver. Police reports are necessary for your case if you ever decide to seek compensation from the other driver.

Minor accidents leave you feeling annoyed, upset, and inconvenienced. You’re not alone in feeling this way, but you should still seek medical attention. Most people are a little banged up following an accident, and virtually everyone will experience some pain and discomfort in the days following an accident. Even if you assume you’re just going to be sore tomorrow, it’s still a good idea to seek medical attention.

Delayed Injuries

Not all injuries appear right away. Did you know it can take months for something like whiplash to appear following an accident? There are many other injuries, such as a concussion, that don’t appear right away. Getting checked out by a doctor might not be high on your list of things to do following an accident, but it can save your life if you don’t delay.

Internal Injuries

Just as many injuries are delayed and the onset occurs days or weeks following impact, some injuries aren’t visible to the naked eye. These are internal injuries, and you might not even know you have them. If you have organ damage, internal bleeding, or another injury you can’t see, you could end up a lot sicker than you realized. These injuries can kill you if you don’t handle them, which is why you should see a doctor right away.

Professional Documentation

The simple fact is you never know what you could suffer from in the days following an accident. It might seem minor until your injuries appear and you spend thousands of dollars on medical treatment. You could end up missing work and not being paid for that missed work, and your finances could take a large hit. If that’s your situation, you might decide it’s time to sue. Suing the at-fault driver to care for your medical bills and other damages means presenting an airtight case. When your injuries are diagnosed and documented immediately following an accident, the opposing counsel has far less to deny.

Less Pain

One of the biggest benefits of seeking medical attention right away even if you think you’re just a little banged up is less pain. If you do have another injury you haven’t noticed yet, it could mean more pain and less comfort. Finding it right away means you can treat it immediately, which could allow you to live more comfortably. It also makes treating your injuries a little simpler. When they’re treated right away, they usually heal better and haven’t enough time to become worse.

See the doctor. Let the medics at the accident check you out and refer you to the hospital if your injuries seem more severe. If you’re not familiar with medicine, you might not be familiar with the seriousness many invisible injuries present. Let your doctor do the work to diagnose you even if you don’t feel too bad or think you have many injuries. Seeking medical attention right away can mean the difference between life and death, and it can mean the difference between ample pain and suffering and a less aggressive treatment.