Seek Prompt Medical Treatment
If you’re hurt in an accident, it’s absolutely crucial that you seek medical attention immediately. If you don’t go to a doctor or hospital soon after an accident, then you probably don’t have a viable injury claim. Both insurance companies and juries typically assume that if you are hurt, you should go to the doctor. Trying to “tough it out” or “hope it gets better” not only delays and impairs your ability to recover from your injuries, but also negatively affects the future success of your personal injury claim. As a general rule, the Anderson Law Firm doesn’t take a case if there’s an unreasonable time delay in seeking treatment. The chances of convincing a jury that you are hurt are drastically diminished each day or week that you delay treatment.
Depending on the severity of your injuries, your initial treatment might very well include taking an ambulance ride to the hospital or visiting the emergency room on your own later that day or the next. Your options for medical treatment from that point on depend on whether you have health insurance, whether you have a primary care doctor and, if so, whether or not he or she is willing and qualified to treat your specific injury. It’s unbelievable that many primary care doctors simply refuse to see their own patients who have been in an accident. The main reason is because they fear that health insurance companies will deny payment to them if the patient’s treatment is related to an accident.
You cannot let a lack of health insurance stand in your way causing you to endure pain unnecessarily. You definitely have better options than going without proper medical treatment. Don’t be afraid to seek treatment if you don’t have health insurance. You may start by visiting an urgent care facility near you. You may also rely on the local public health system. While the latter approach is usually very frustrating, sometimes it’s the only option uninsured injury victims have to obtain medical treatment.
Another option you have is to contact an attorney who specializes in injury cases. When requested, our firm will happily provide the names of various doctors who will not only provide proper treatment, but who will also agree to delay billing patients until their case is resolved. This way, our clients are able to receive the medical treatment they need with no up-front out-of-pocket costs.
No matter which option you ultimately choose, it’s extremely important that you control your situation and seek medical attention promptly. Failing to do so within the first few days after your accident will surely “wreck” your case.
For answers to your legal questions, contact the Anderson Law Firm online, or by calling 817-294-1900 for a free consultation on your rights.
