Three Reasons to See a Doctor After an Auto Accident

Car crashes are an unfortunate fact of life, especially in a large metropolitan area like Denver and the surrounding suburbs. With a population growth rate of twice the national average over the last decade taking place in many Colorado cities, it stands to reason there will be a similar increase in the number of traffic accidents.

What should you do if you have a fender bender or more serious crash? Should your first stop be a doctor, your insurance company, or an attorney?

If you feel any pain or discomfort after your car crash, the answer is “seek medical help as soon as you can.” But even if you don’t feel pain, a doctor’s visit should be high on your list of priorities. Our bodies are remarkably resilient, but not built to withstand the thousands of pounds of metal, glass, and plastic that collide in an automobile accident. Even the safest cars out there can’t cover everything.

Our bodies react automatically to stress by releasing emergency hormones that can dull pain for a brief period. What feels like a minor bump or ache immediately after your accident can progress to serious or debilitating pain hours, or even days after the crash. The nature of the injuries may mean that symptoms don’t show up for even longer—weeks or even months, in some cases, depending on the type, severity, and location of the injury.

A timely exam and analysis by a specialist can identify skeletal or soft tissue damage that may cause pain, or worsen and result in long-term injury.

Insurance companies use several automated systems to adjust your claim based on several points of data about your accident and what happens after. One important piece of information the insurance company uses to process your claim is whether or not you sought medical attention and how long it took for you to do so.

Getting an appointment with your primary physician within this short window could prove problematic. Many specialists can be just as difficult to get an urgent appointment with. Urgent Care centers have high out-of-pocket costs and may not understand the nature of musculoskeletal injuries and chronic pain. The physicians at SpineOne are available with same day appointments. Our whiplash, spine, and musculoskeletal specialists will review your accident, and provide you both with the information you need for medical treatment, and for your insurance claim.

If your car accident was undoubtedly someone else’s fault you may find yourself dealing with an unfamiliar insurance company to get your medical bills paid. Just like with a claim through your own insurance, timely care for your health after an accident can be an asset when it comes to negotiating with the at-fault party’s insurance company. If you’ve retained an attorney to help you navigate the complicated landscape of dealing with insurance, they will certainly insist on rapid and frequent medical exams. SpineOne has a history of working with Denver’s top law firms to give you the medical care you need and provide your attorney with the records and information they need to support your case.

The at-fault party’s insurance company may try to discredit your claim and diminish the seriousness of your injuries to reduce their liability in medical bills or mitigate the extent of your claim settlement. A favorite tactic of insurance companies in this case is to argue that your injuries were pre-existing or occurred after the accident in question. The longer you wait to seek medical care, the harder it gets to prove you were injured in the car crash. Timely and detailed records of exams and recommended treatments pre-empt this tactic by providing a comprehensive record of your diagnosis and treatment following your car accident.

Whether your car accident was a major crash or a fender bender, a prompt examination from a qualified physician will not only help you recover physically but will also help expedite any insurance claims involved. SpineOne’s doctors are available for same day appointments to answer your questions about whiplash, neck pain, or other injuries sustained during your accident.