If someone crashes into you and you feel fine, you might consider the crash has already disrupted your day enough, without wasting more time going for a medical check-up. Yet this could be a massive mistake.
Getting immediate medical attention is crucial after a crash because you are not a doctor and therefore not expert enough to give yourself a clean bill of health. Even if you are a doctor, getting a colleague’s opinion is crucial, as crashes can cause shock, which may not leave you thinking straight.
If you have injuries, you will need medical evidence to claim
If you smash your face against the steering wheel and break your nose, you will know about it. If someone asks you what injuries you suffered, you can tell them you have a broken nose. You can see it, and they can see it.
Yet when you tell the insurer you have a broken nose, they may question how they can be sure it did not happen playing sport or in a bar fight. If they cannot be sure it happened in the collision, they may refuse to pay.
If you get medical attention straight after the crash, the doctor can see the injury is fresh and pinpoint it to the accident. If you do not visit them until a few days after, they too may be unable to say for sure it happened in the crash.
Not all injuries are visible
What about an internal injury or brain damage? There may be little to no visible proof. You might not even notice yourself at first, as these things can take days or weeks to show. Yet, a doctor who knows you hit your head in a crash can send you for tests to spot damage and provide evidence to back it up.
Insurers will always look for ways to reject your claim or minimize payments. Getting legal help to understand what to do after a car crash gives you the best chance of getting the compensation you need.
