Auto Accidents – Medical Treatment
At the time of the accident, if you notice pain, discomfort, or stiffness, and feel you are injured, call 911 immediately, and ask for an ambulance to take you to the emergency room.
If you are viewing this site a few days after a car accident, and you still feel pain, discomfort or stiffness, regardless of whether you went to the emergency room or not, you should definitely follow up with your primary physician. Schedule an appointment immediately. If you have trouble getting in to see a doctor, or you do not have health insurance, call my office today.
When you are visiting a doctor, you need to be proactive in explaining the events that caused your injuries. Explain to the doctor, in detail, the magnitude of the impact between the cars, the speed of the impact, and the amount of damage to the vehicles. This information will help guide the doctor in evaluating, diagnosing and prescribing your treatment. If the doctor feels the accident is a minor fender bender, he or she may not feel the impact could cause major injuries, and thus take a different approach to your treatment compared to an accident where the doctor knows the autos collided head on at freeway speed. Thus, use your time with the doctor to explain in detail the gravity and magnitude of the impact.
Secondly, think about your symptoms carefully before talking to the doctor. You need to explain all of the pain, stiffness, and discomfort you are feeling on each part of your body. Do not hold anything back. Explain in detail, even minor changes, you feel in your body. Many times my clients tell me they have headaches, dizziness and sleeplessness, yet they forget to tell the doctor. The doctor needs to know these problems your are experiencing in order to fully understand your injuries.
If you feel comfortable with your doctor, the most important thing is to follow the doctors instructions. Do exactly what the doctor orders. This serves many purposes in your treatment as well as your case. If you are not getting a positive response from your doctor, or you feel the doctor is taking things too lightly or rushing, call me immediately.
Finally, there are many specializations of medicine, like orthopedic surgeons, radiologists, pulmonologists, neurosurgeons, vascular surgeons, pain management specialists, chiropractors, and physical therapists, all of whom can play a special role in your recovery. My office helps my clients chose the appropriate physicians, and we manage their care, helping them understand how to get the best medical treatment for their particular circumstances.
In soft tissue injury cases, where there is a back and neck injury, I usually recommend to my clients to consult with an orthopedic surgeon. An orthopedic surgeon can evaluate X-Rays, MRIs and CT Scans to see if there is a herniated disk, slipped disk, degenerative disk disease, or the early onset of arthritis, all of which can be caused by the massive transfer of force that occurs in a motor vehicle collision. I also usually recommend to my clients to follow up with a good physical therapist or chiropractor, depending upon the recommendations of the orthopedic.
This page is not designed to be legal advice. It is simply designed to provide general information about the medical process and how my law firm helps our clients manage their health care and recovery. Please call my office today for a specific evaluation of your case. If you are seriously injured in an accident, you need the help of an attorney, and my firm will guide you step by step through this process of recovery. Call today for a free consultation.
Free consultation: 800-524-5188, 24 hours
