If you are in an accident, your top priority should be to take care of yourself. When the impact occurs, the adrenaline and stress of the situation might mask or cause you to ignore the pain of injury. But as soon as practicable after leaving the scene of the collision, see a medical provider and get checked out.
Whether it is the ER, urgent care, or a trusted family physician – see a medical provider and take a full inventory of your physical condition. What did your body do or hit in the collision? What hurts? What’s bruised? What isn’t moving right? Don’t leave anything out.
For example, too often an injured individual discusses his neck pain with a medical provider and fails to mention the bruise on his knee because at the time the bruise seems minor in comparison. But that bruise might represent a torn meniscus that requires surgery down the road. It’s important to have the bruise (or any other seemingly minor injury) documented in the medical records from the beginning. It helps validate the cause of injury when your attorney goes to negotiate your case down the road. And it helps your doctors properly monitor and treat the condition.
If you don’t have insurance, you should still see a medical provider. A personal injury attorney can refer you to a medical provider who will see you on a lien basis. That means that the medical provider will treat your injury and wait to get paid until after your personal injury case has been settled.