What If I Didn’t Get Medical Treatment Right Away?

After an accident, a lot of people don’t feel pain right away. They may think they’re fine and choose not to seek medical treatment until days later, only to realize their injuries are more serious than they thought. Recently, David Greene joined Studio 10 to talk about how that delay can affect an injury claim.

Is it a problem if someone doesn’t go to the doctor immediately after an accident?
Not necessarily, A lot of injuries, especially things like soft tissue injuries, don’t show symptoms right away. It’s very common for people to feel okay at first and then start experiencing pain hours or even days later.

So just because you didn’t go to the doctor that day doesn’t mean you’re out of luck?
Not at all. But timing does matter. Insurance companies are going to look closely at any gap between the accident and when you first sought treatment. They may try to argue that your injuries weren’t serious, or that they weren’t caused by the accident at all.

What should someone do if they start feeling pain a few days later?
The most important thing is to go ahead and get checked out as soon as you notice something isn’t right. Don’t wait any longer. The sooner you document those injuries, the better it is for both your health and your case.

Does that gap in treatment make these cases harder?
It can, but it’s not something we can’t work through. We deal with that all the time. It just means we have to build a clear timeline and connect the dots between the accident and the injury.

Once someone starts treatment, is there anything else they should be careful about?
Yes, that’s a great point. It’s really important to follow your doctor’s recommendations and stay consistent with treatment. If there are large gaps or missed appointments, insurance companies may try to argue that you weren’t seriously injured or that you’ve already recovered.

What about people who try to just “tough it out” and never go to the doctor?
That can be a bigger issue. If there’s no medical documentation at all, it becomes very difficult to prove your injuries. That’s why we always tell people if you’re hurting, go get checked out.

And if someone has questions about their situation after an accident?
If you’ve been injured and aren’t sure how a delay in treatment might affect your case, it can be helpful to speak with an attorney who handles these situations daily, like the lawyers at Greene & Phillips. Call, text, or come by anytime.