Going to the hospital immediately after a car accident is important for several reasons. Most importantly, the doctors at the hospital can help identify accident related injuries, such as whiplash, internal injuries, broken bones, concussions, and other traumatic injuries. Injuries are a common result of car accidents and they could worsen if left untreated. Furthermore, your immediate records from paramedics and the emergency room can help prove the crucial element of causation and show you were injured during the accident caused by the defendant. Victims often must prove serious injury to file car accident lawsuits, and having certified medical records after a crash can help achieve that. It is also important to follow up with doctors and specialists following the initial hospital visit.
For a free and confidential assessment of your case, call the New Jersey car accident lawyers at Agrapidis & Maroules, P.C. today at (201) 777-1111.
Why Do You Need to Go to the Hospital Right After a Car Accident in New Jersey?
Victims should always go to the hospital immediately after accidents if they feel they require immediate medical attention. The hospital records will also help to prove they pass the serious injury threshold and can file compensation cases against negligent drivers, another reason why seeking urgent medical care when needed is important. The physicians at the hospital can determine whether any underlying injuries exist that need emergency medical attention.
To Help Prove Causation in Your Case
One of the most challenging aspects of car accident claims is proving causation. This requires our car accident lawyers to show that the other driver’s negligence caused your specific injuries and resulting damages. If you delay seeking medical attention, your hospital records might not align with the accident’s date, possibly giving the negligent driver room to argue your injuries were from another incident altogether. By going to the hospital right away, you can confirm the date and manner in which you were injured. Delaying medical attention could leave the negligent driver room to contest the cause of your injuries, arguing you could have sustained them during another accident, not the one they caused.
If you sustained serious injuries in an accident, call 911 and ask for medical first responders so that they can treat your injuries at the scene and document your condition in the moments after a collision. Police officers may note in their reports whether victims sustain serious injuries at the scene or need transportation to the hospital in an ambulance.
We recommend going to the emergency room over an urgent care facility or your general practitioner’s office if you are experiencing serious pain or side effects from an accident, as a hospital will have the equipment, resources, and medical staff necessary to treat traumatic car accident injuries.
To Show You Pass the Serious Injury Threshold
In New Jersey, victims may have to show that they meet the definition of serious injury under N.J.S.A. § 39:6A-8(a) to file a claim against a negligent driver. Such injuries include any that cause death, displaced fractures, and permanent organ damage. Victims may also file lawsuits for dismemberment, which includes limb loss, as well as for significant disfigurement or scarring and loss of a fetus. You must prove serious injury if you have a limitation on the lawsuit option for your personal injury protection insurance in New Jersey.
To show that victims pass the threshold, our New Jersey personal injury lawyers can submit certifications from treating physicians within 60 days of a defendant’s response to a lawsuit. The certification may include results of diagnostic tests and other objective clinical evidence.
To Catch Underlying or Internal Injuries
Not all car accident injuries are immediately apparent or painful, especially since the adrenaline and stress from a traumatic crash could make victims ignore discomfort temporarily. Going to the hospital right after a collision can alert you to underlying injuries, like whiplash or internal injuries. A soft tissue injury in the neck, whiplash is particularly common in rear-end collisions and might require physical therapy or prescription pain medication to treat.
Doctors can assess you for internal injuries, especially if the negligent driver struck your vehicle at a high speed. If victims hit their heads during accidents, they should get evaluated for possible concussions or traumatic brain injuries, as symptoms of these injuries might only appear with time in some cases.
What if You Stop Going to the Hospital While Recovering from Car Accident Injuries in New Jersey?
Showing a clear timeline of your injuries and physical recovery is crucial, so do not stop getting medical care against doctors’ advice. Doing so could lead to gaps in your medical records and make it challenging to prove a defendant’s liability for any damages, including your medical expenses.
While some car accident injuries only require one visit to the hospital, many call for additional appointments with specialists and physicians to monitor victims’ physical recovery and progress. Records from these visits will detail all treatments victims have received, including surgeries, prescription medications, and physical therapy sessions. If you stop getting care, our attorneys will not have medical evidence and proof of damages to submit to the court, potentially weakening your case. Your recovery is based on your specific damages; if you stop receiving treatment, you may stop incurring compensable damages. Furthermore, if you stop monitoring your injuries, they worsen, and you eventually need even more expensive medical care, you could be liable for those costs.
Your commitment to your physical recovery can positively affect your case, so follow the treatment plan and doctor’s guidance closely. If your treating physicians advise you against returning to work anytime soon, inform our lawyers, and we can collect proof of the lost wages the accident causes you. Do not attempt to return to work before you are able to, as that could worsen your injuries and your compensation.
Call Our Attorneys in New Jersey for Help with Your Car Accident Compensation Case
Call Agrapidis & Maroules, P.C. at (201) 777-1111 to discuss your case for free with our Newark, NJ car accident lawyers.