5 Immediate Things to Do After a Personal Injury Accident
After an accident, it's normal not to know what to do next.
At this moment, you might be confused and in pain. However, pulling yourself together is vital since there are things you need to do immediately to ensure you're safe and receive the proper compensation.
Read along to learn more if you're wondering what to do immediately after a personal injury accident.
Get Medical Assistance As Soon As Possible
Most people never seek medical assistance after an injury. However, this shouldn't be the case. Even if your injuries aren't visible, it's essential to seek medical help since most injuries don't manifest immediately. Also, some jurisdictions require one to be examined by a doctor within a specific period, or else you become ineligible to claim.
It's important to note that some injuries, more so soft tissue injuries or brain injuries, might not manifest in the first days, weeks, or months following the injury. Fortunately, after going to the hospital, a doctor will perform a thorough checkup to diagnose your injuries' severity and offer suitable treatment.
Contact An Attorney
After receiving the appropriate treatment, the next step should be contacting a reputable and experienced injury lawyer. Once you narrate what happened, the lawyer will advise you on the way forward. They will also determine if you have a valid personal injury claim and, if yes, how to go about it. Fortunately, you might not have to worry about the attorney's fee since most personal injury lawyers may provide free consultation and only get paid if you receive compensation.
For more information on how helpful an injury attorney can be, visit Raphaelson Levine.
Adhere To Your Doctor's Guidelines
Healing isn't a one-day thing. It takes time and commitment. Patients who adhere to their doctor's advice get better soon than those who don't.
Unfortunately, busy people don't take time off work to heal. They also don't keep medical appointments. They assume that booking appointments, seeing a specialist, undergoing various tests, and attending physical therapies take the time that could be used on other things. Without knowing, they end up experiencing delayed or impaired healing.
It's well known that physical therapy sessions can be time-consuming. One requires a serious commitment for at least two days a week in some months. Additionally, physical therapy can be painful. However, with controlled exercise, the affected muscles regain elasticity and strength. Therefore, one must be persistent in their physical therapy sessions for quicker healing.
Just as it's vital to seek medical assistance after personal injuries, it's also essential to stick to your doctor's advice. This helps create strong proof that the injuries were real.
When you cease attending physical therapy or don't show up for doctor's appointments, the insurance adjuster assumes that the injuries have healed.
If you later decide to resume treatment, the adjuster assumes that the treatment is related to other new injuries. Therefore, you might not receive the correct compensation for skipping physical therapies and doctor's appointments.
Remember, it's essential to document your physical therapy and doctor's appointments as they might be of great help when seeking compensation.
Get Involved in the Investigations
After contacting a personal injury attorney, they'll start investigations to prove your injuries result from someone else's negligence.
In most cases, personal injury attorneys work closely with accident reconstruction specialists, doctors, and witnesses to analyze the accident and the injuries to figure out who's at fault and how severe the injuries are. However, for everything to work out smoothly, you must remain in contact with your lawyer, follow instructions, and be part of the investigations. While it might seem time-consuming, your lawyer is trying their best to get you the proper compensation, and this can only happen when you work together.
Document The Circumstances of the Accident - Notify Your Insurers
After an accident, document the events if possible. Talk to witnesses and get their phone numbers for easier reaching. You can also take some photos at the accident scene. These pictures and testimonies will help you a lot when claiming compensation.
Once you've documented everything and have sought medical assistance, notify your insurer of your injuries as soon as possible. Ensure to report within the specified period to be eligible for compensation.
Seeking Medical Assistance Vital
After a personal injury, the first thing you should do is seek medical assistance to determine whether you've sustained severe injuries and get treated. After treatment, you can now focus on legal courses after knowing your life isn't in danger.
Remember, you need a qualified personal injury attorney if you'll be seeking compensation. Seeking legal assistance right away will benefit you, so don't delay in finding competent legal advice.
Older People and Accidents
You probably would not be surprised that older people might be more prone to accidents. The family often will place an older parent into assisted living or a nursing home to offer them quality long-term health care and reduce the risk of accidental injury.
Falls are one of the leading reasons older people end up in the emergency room. One of the leading causes of long-term care and death is falls and other accidents.
Professional caregivers are supposed to be appropriately trained to provide the proper care and help prevent falls and accidents. However, sometimes long-term care facilities are not adequately staffed, and accidents that should not happen, happen.
While most facilities have highly trained and caring staff, sometimes they fall short. If they fall short for your loved one, they are probably falling short for someone else's family member. Take notes, get your loved one medical attention, and seek legal counsel to protect your loved one's rights.