If you have ever been unfortunate enough to be in a car accident, you know that it is an extremely chaotic and stressful ordeal. The crash happens so suddenly that it can be hard to know what happened, who was at fault, and what action you should take.
One of the biggest mistakes you can make after a car accident is assuming that you are uninjured. Many people think that as long as they feel fine, they are fine. Unfortunately, this may not always be the case. It may take days or even weeks for a car accident victim to realize that they have been seriously injured.
Whether you were in a serious collision or a simple fender-bender, it’s always a good idea to seek medical attention as soon as possible. By seeing a doctor right away–even if you don’t feel hurt–you are protecting your future ability to sue the negligent party.
In 2018 alone, 4.5 million people were seriously injured in car accidents nationwide.
At the time of the car accident, it can also be almost impossible to know for sure whether or not you are injured. Between the adrenaline and endorphins, your body naturally releases in response to a dangerous situation and the confusion surrounding the car accident.
You may not realize that you have suffered a serious injury. Instead, you might simply feel shaken up. As a result, you might miss the signs that you are hurt, or you may have an injury that isn’t immediately perceptible, such as internal bleeding or a concussion.
Seeking medical attention also lets you establish a history of your injuries. When you are examined, the doctor will include in his or her report that you experienced a car accident. The medical report helps to prove causation: that your injuries were a direct result of the car accident and not because of something else.
Take the following example:
Bill was rear-ended while driving to work in heavy traffic. The accident was the fault of the other driver, who was following too closely and using their cellphone. At the time, Bill felt fine so he didn’t go to the emergency room or visit his doctor.
Two weeks later, he began to have excruciating back pain. After seeing his doctor, he was diagnosed with a pinched nerve.
In this example, it is likely that Bill’s pinched nerve was caused by the car accident. As such, he should be able to recover compensation for his injuries either by settling with the other driver’s insurance company or filing a personal injury lawsuit.
But, the longer Bill waits from the time of the accident to seek treatment, the harder it is to prove liability and fault. For instance, the defendant could argue that Bill easily could have gone golfing the week after his accident and injured himself then.
When it comes to personal injury lawsuits, time matters. The longer a plaintiff waits to seek medical treatment, the harder it is to prove whose is at fault for the injuries.
An individual who is injured in a car accident in California is required to take reasonable steps to avoid or treat the injury. Known as mitigation of damages, even if the individual’s injuries were caused by the negligence of someone else they may be prevented from recovering compensation if they fail to make reasonable efforts to have their injuries treated.
In our above example, if Bill would have seen a doctor immediately after the car accident and was told to stay in bed for a week to heal and he went golfing anyway, Bill failed to make reasonable efforts, i.e., follow the advice of the doctor, and therefore can’t successfully recover compensation for his injuries.
If you are the victim of a car accident, don’t wait to seek medical treatment. With the help of an experienced personal injury lawyer, you can recover compensation for your injuries, including medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages.
“Mr. Glotzer represented me after I was involved in a car accident. I was badly injured,but the insurance company refused to offer me a reasonable settlement. I decided to find an attorney and decided to hire Josh.
His law firm did a great job on my case. They were very responsive to all my questions and obtained a great resolution for me. I received way more money than was originally offered. I would recommend their firm to friends and family.”
“Mr. Josh Glotzer is a great attorney. Over the last 15 years he has helped me on a number of cases with professionalism, and more importantly a positive outcome in my favor. I have referred him to a number of friends and colleagues, all of which have been equally as happy with his legal representation. I trust him and confident in legal ability. I highly recommend his law firm.”
“Don’t try to deal with insurance companies on your own. They strung me along for almost two years before I gave the case to Glotzer & Leib. Josh and his team quickly obtained a settlement that netted me many times what the insurance company was offering. Thank You!”
“My wife was in a car accident last year and Josh did an amazing job representing her. It’s very refreshing to see someone in his profession that actually cares and puts his clients first. He’s the best in the business and I feel so fortunate that I was referred to him. Keep up the great work and thanks for everything you did for my family!”
“I was in a rear end car accident last year and hired Mr. Glotzer’s office. It wasn’t a big case but their office helped me with my property damage claim and did a good job resolving the injury portion of the case as well.”
Helpful information, news about the firm and latest updates
September 25th, 2024
When someone gets hurt on someone else's property, they may have a premises liability claim. This type of claim can happen if the property owner doesn't take care to...
September 20th, 2024
To settle a car accident claim without a lawyer, gather all necessary documentation (photos, medical bills, repair estimates) and negotiate with the insurance compan...
August 29th, 2024
One of the most common questions accident victims ask after a car accident is why their accident settlement process takes so long. Settling personal injury claims, i...
