Why Is It important to See a Doctor Immediately After a Car Accident Even if I Am Uninjured or Have Minor Injuries?

If you have been in a car accident, it is important to see a doctor immediately, even if you perceive your injuries as being minor. This is because:

• The full extent of some injuries is not immediately apparent but could do serious damage if not promptly treated.

• Some people are simply not used to giving themselves the level of care they need when they need it. For example, parents may be so focused on caring for their children, that they minimize or even dismiss the level of pain or loss of functional ability they’re experiencing, hoping that, “it will just go away,” or, “it will get better very soon without treatment.”

While the selflessness and commitment of such people are admirable, their denial of the seriousness of their condition is wrong-minded. As much as we may take care of others or be dedicated to something larger than ourselves, there are always times in life where each one of us must accept the care we truly need.

• Your medical records will be an important piece of evidence if you decide to file a claim or lawsuit.
• If your injuries do turn out to be minor and require only a medical examination and minimal treatment, of course, that would be a much better scenario than learning your injuries are serious and require extensive treatment.

However, if you delay treatment initially and then present for treatment because the symptoms have either not gone away as you’d hoped or expected or, have gotten significantly worse, the insurance company for the at-fault party will most likely try to use your good faith delay against you. They will try to argue that if your injuries were as serious you claim, you would have presented sooner, or that the injuries were not actually caused by the accident but you are falsely claiming that they were.

How Your Injuries Affect Your Eligibility for Damages

To qualify for monetary damages in New York, you must show that you were injured due to another party’s negligence. The strength of your case will be based on the quality of the evidence that your lawyer will provide. Your medical records will play a significant role in this, as they can connect your injuries to the collision. However, the longer you wait to seek medical attention, the harder it will be to establish this connection for your case. When you hire a car accident lawyer Long Island to manage your case, the legal expert will request the evidence you have on top of the evidence they will start collecting themselves. You have the right to access your medical file and show it to your attorney. Depending on your injuries’ extent, hospital chart, doctors’ recommendations for future treatments and therapies, and your overall prognosis, your attorney will act. When you seek compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and other damages, your medical file is the stepping stone for your lawyer to file a claim or initiate a lawsuit.

For a free legal consultation, call (516) 932-0400

Other Reasons to Act Quickly After a Collision

Aside from your medical records, some potential forms of evidence include:

• Eyewitness statements
• Expert witness statements
• Photos of the crash site
• Police accident reports
• Footage from surveillance and dash-cam cameras

Because of the impermanent nature of many of these types of evidence, you should consider your legal options as soon as you can. Surveillance video, for instance, is often erased after a period of time, and eyewitnesses can move and become practically impossible to find. You must also act quickly because of the statute of limitations, codified at New York Civil Practice Law & Rules (CVP) §214. This law gives accident victims only so much time to file a lawsuit for damages. The time you have could be even shorter, depending on the nature of your case and who you are suing.

Getting Compensation for Your Injuries

Taking legal action against the party or parties who caused your accident will not only help you hold them responsible for their carelessness; it will also bring you one step closer to getting the financial support you and your family need for the damages you experienced from the collision. Broadly speaking, there are two types of compensation you can seek. The first type is for your non-economic damages. These encompass the physical and emotional effects of the accident, such as:

• Pain and suffering, generally covering the physical and/or mental stress of the accident itself and the resulting injuries, which may include: Disfigurement, for those whose appearance or physical abilities have been noticeably affected by scars
• Disability, for those who lost the use of any body part
• Impaired quality of life, for those who now have trouble completing everyday tasks without help

The second type of compensation is for economic damages. They include the financial consequences of the accident, such as:

• Lost income, for those who could not go to work until their injuries healed
• Lost earning capacity, for those who will never be able to go back to work or who were forced to switch to a lower-paying job
• Cost of property damage, for those whose car needed repairs or replacement after the accident
• Cost of medical care, for those who needed emergency or long-term treatment for their injuries

If you were injured in a Brookhaven collision, trust a car accident lawyer in Brookhaven from our team to help you recover economic and non-economic damages. Your attorney will help you build a strong evidence-based case to prove the extent of your injuries.

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Let Our Law firm Guide You Through the Legal Process

Even if you have not yet made up your mind about pursuing legal action, you can consult our law firm to learn about the process. We will assess your case at no charge. This way, you will have all the information you need as to your various options so that you can make the best decisions about how to proceed. If you learn your injuries are serious and require a course of treatment, you may want to retain our firm to prosecute a claim or lawsuit on your behalf.  If you choose our firm as your accident injury lawyers, a lawyer on our team will also:

• Update you about your case, so you always have the information you need to make the necessary legal decisions
• Identify the subject of your case
• Communicate with others, so you do not have to risk speaking personally with the liable party or their representatives
• Gather evidence, to support and strengthen your case
• Determine your case’s value, so you do not have to worry about accidentally accepting a low offer
• Fight to win the best possible outcome for you

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Reach out to Friedman & Simon, L.L.P. Today

It is important to see a doctor immediately after a car accident, even if you believe your injuries are minor. Once you have seen to your medical needs, you can reach out to Friedman & Simon, L.L.P. at (516) 932-0400 for a free case review. We are able to assist you in English, Spanish, Greek, Bengali, Tamil, or Kannada. Our team is passionate about helping accident victims get the compensation they deserve.

Call or text (516) 932-0400 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form