If you have been involved in a car accident and suspect that you may have sustained minor injuries, do not ignore this. It is always better to seek immediate medical attention. Whether it is a slight bump to the head or a sprain to your arm or any injury that you feel you can manage on your own, ideally you should still seek medical attention. Most people are willing to deal with such “minor” medical issues only after they have sorted out what they believe to be the priority – the claim and vehicle damage and other related aspects.
The reality is that if you have suffered any form of injury as a consequence of the car or vehicular accident, there is a possibility that you can make a claim for insurance to cover the cost of your medical expenses. As such, the faster you seek medical attention; the better. Any delay can result in weakening the case that you may have against the other party or the benefits that you may be entitled to from the insurance. This is particularly the case where the gap between the time of the accident and the seeking of medical attention as too long. If indeed you are unable to seek immediate medical attention, you should ensure that you have had a medical examination within 24 hours of the accident.
When visiting medical professionals, always highlight that you have just been involved in an accident. It is also useful to explain which part of your body has suffered from point of impact injuries and ask for these to be checked out. Any injury to your head, back or neck can result in long term trauma and as such, these must be highlighted to the medical professional you meet. You will also need to explain whether you have suffered any blurring of vision, nausea and other similar psychosomatic symptoms that may be indicative of other injuries.
Once you have received the medical report, it is useful to take this as well as a copy of the police report, and the details of the other parties involved and your insurance documentation to meet a personal accident attorney. This is so that you can seek legal advice in the event that any claim needs to be filed about the accident. You need not worry about the discussion of fees for your personal accident lawyer in the first instance. Treat this first meeting as a consultation in order that you can understand what your options are. Based on this, if the personal accident lawyer advises that you may have a viable claim against the insurance company or the other party involved in the accident, then you can discuss how the fees are to be paid.
Many personal injury or auto accident lawyers are prepared to work on contingency fees whereby then will only take a percentage of the winnings in the case. This is advantageous to you as it means that you do not have to pay anything upfront of the legal advice that you receive and the work the auto accident lawyer will do in preparing your case.
