Should I Go to the Emergency Room After a Burbank Auto Accident?
Most people may know that they require immediate medical care after an accident. However, it’s not always clear if you should go to the emergency room or not.
A visit to the ER is apparent if you have broken bones, bleeding, and other forms of accident-related injuries like head trauma.
The problem arises if and when it’s an internal injury like whiplash and bruising. The symptoms of these problems are not evident immediately. It’s usually after you return home, and a few days later, you wonder if you should go to the ER.
This happens because your body goes into survival mode after a car wreck.
The body releases adrenaline and epinephrine and increases blood flow to vital organs. Your focus thus shifts to survival and not on pain, which can, in turn, mask the severity of the injuries.
Emergency Room Treatment or Emergency Clinic Treatment
You have access to a myriad of treatment options after a Burbank auto accident. These include emergency rooms, chiropractors, and walk-in emergency clinics, each with individual benefits and shortcomings.
For example, the ER offers:
- An in-facility pharmacy
- Ambulance and helicopter services
- Same day MRI, radiology, and CT studies
- Access to specialists if required
- Fully operational diagnostic tests and treatment
These benefits are indeed great and necessary for immediate medical care.
However, emergency rooms also have some disadvantages, which are the wait time and rates. You have to wait longer for your treatment, and with optimal medical treatment comes high rates.
24/7 emergency clinics are private facilities offering practically all the services available in ERs. The additional benefits rendered here are:
- Doctors available on-call
- Less wait time
- Individualized care
- In-facility radiological services and pharmacies
Visiting these clinics is a better option if you start feeling pain later, and aren’t sure you require emergency treatment.
Medical Treatment and Your Legal Case
Even if you don’t think you were severely injured, if the car was damaged, then you most probably were injured too. So it’s generally better to seek medical treatment immediately after the accident.
About whether you should go to the emergency room after the auto accident, it all depends.
It’s better to head to the emergency room, walk-in clinic, or physician’s office if you will be claiming personal injuries sustained. You reduce your chances of recovery if you wait for hours, days, or weeks after the accident to seek treatment.
A long gap between the accident and treatment gives the insurance company possible proof that your injuries weren’t because of the accident. Besides, the amount you stand to recover through the claim reduces if your injuries worsen because you didn’t seek treatment.
Follow Your Doctor’s Instructions
It’s also essential that you follow your physician’s treatment and guidelines after seeking medical care. Many people get examined after the accident but do not attend doctor appointments or take prescribed tests and medication.
Not following through with medical treatment is as detrimental to your claim as not getting treated at all.
Insurance companies keep a tab on your appointments, prescriptions, and advised medical devices. They also keep a check on your activities, so avoid doing any counterproductive activities in your recovery period.
Social media proof of your vacationing or playing baseball will reduce your chances of receiving your rightfully deserved compensation.
Consult Your Burbank Auto Accident Lawyer
Remember; always seek medical treatment immediately after an accident, even if you don’t think you require emergency treatment.
It can save your life if you suffer from internal injuries like internal bleeding, nerve damage, or cracked vertebrae. It also increases the chances of your recovering compensation for the injuries.
You also need to turn to your auto accident attorney in Burbank for assistance. They will assist in selecting the doctor, apply for your benefits and help you get your deserved compensation.