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Going to the ER After a Car Accident: What You Need to Know


— July 27, 2022

After receiving medical care, you may want to talk with a car accident lawyer and learn more about your legal rights and compensation.


Emergency rooms provide immediate medical attention for victims in a critical health conditions or with health concerns. Even if you feel well after a car accident, you need a medical checkup since some injuries may not show externally. A medical professional can order a more detailed test to identify the injuries. An early diagnosis can also lead to a faster recovery time.

Report All the Symptoms to the Doctor

You must report all your symptoms to the medical staff, including all the minor ones. Minor pains and aches can sometimes indicate serious injuries. Therefore, your doctor needs to know all the symptoms to diagnose correctly.

Your doctor may order X-rays and blood tests, and you must wait until the results are available. The physician may extend your stay to keep your symptoms under observation. Follow your doctor’s recommendations to the best of your ability.

Read Everything and Be Careful with Your Statements

The hospital will give you many documents to sign when seeking treatment in the ER. Therefore, you need to read through the documents carefully before signing anything.

If your injuries prevent you from reading any documents, it’ll be wise for you to ask the person to wait until you are clear of mind. Additionally, it would help if you asked for clarification where necessary.

Everything you say gets recorded in your medical report, including the statements about the accident. It is essential not to admit fault for the accident but rather keep your conversation directed toward your injuries and symptoms. Admitting fault will directly impact your efforts to claim compensation for the injuries you suffered in the crash.

Keep Medical Records and Photographs

Failing to visit the ER or getting documentation on the day of the injury can make it hard for you to get the car accident injury claim. Moreover, in the ER, someone must photograph your visible injuries. The other party may argue that there is no way to determine whether the injury is from the accident or the past if you do not have clear evidence.

X-ray of person with broken collarbone; image by Harlie Raethel, via Unsplash.com.
Image by Harlie Raethel, via Unsplash.com.

Compensation After a Car Accident

After receiving medical care, you may want to talk with a car accident lawyer and learn more about your legal rights and compensation. The attorney will also help determine the driver’s fault. For car accidents in New York, victims can get an array of compensation including:

  • The cost of past and future medical care and treatment
  • The cost of personal care or assistance with the activities of daily living
  • Past and future loss of income, including a decrease in the income
  • Disfigurements, permanent impairment, and even disabilities
  • Emotional, physical, mental pain and suffering
  • Loss of enjoyment of life and a decrease in quality of life

Returning Home from the ER

After diagnosis, your doctor may determine that you are ready to be discharged from the emergency room without getting admitted. It would help if you had a family member or a friend drive you back home. It is crucial to obtain instructions from the doctor on how to look after your well-being.

Before leaving the emergency room, ask questions about anything that is unclear. Moreover, you will need to follow up with your doctor and do some preventive physical therapy if necessary.

Keep Follow up Appointments

Make sure to follow the instruction from the emergency room. An insurance company may argue that you caused your injuries to get severe when you fail to follow your doctor’s treatment plan. It would be best if you did not give the other party reasons to deny your injury claim or reduce your payments.

You need to know how an emergency room operates from treatment to payment and discharge. It is essential to visit an emergency room after an accident to address the injuries caused by the crash. Some injuries may look minor but cause severe problems in the future.

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