Going to urgent care after a car accident
When someone has been involved in a car accident, one of the first things we advise is that they see a doctor, even if they don’t feel injured. However, in today’s economy, seeing a doctor may just add more stress to an already difficult situation – some are not covered by insurance, can’t afford the out-of-pocket costs, etc. Therefore, it is recommended that one goes to urgent care after a car accident. Read on to understand why.
Price and wait times
Above all else, choosing to go to urgent care after a car accident will take a fraction of your time and your money. While the ER has its place in emergency situations – usually those that involve an ambulance and life or death scenarios – those who need to be looked over for insurance reasons do not necessarily need to incur the bills that come with the ER.
Therefore, it’s a better idea to attend an urgent care for a “I don’t think I’m hurt, but it’s important that I make sure” visit. Therefore, if you start to experience pain weeks or even months after the initial accident, not only will it not be a surprise to you, but you’ll also be more likely to receive compensation from the insurance company to cover these injuries.
Of course, if it is obvious that you are severely injured, paying a visit to the ER is your best option. Do not skimp out on your doctor visit just to save a few bucks if you suffered an injury that could progressively worsen over time.
But why won’t I know if I’m hurt?
It’s incredibly common for those involved in car accidents to experience delayed injuries, but why? After a traumatic experience, your brain enters survival mode – it may not be able to tell that the trauma is over, so it prepares for more. Therefore, it releases chemicals that mask the sensation of pain. This is meant to allow you to respond to more trauma without the hindrance of an injury.
Unfortunately for us, what this means is that many victims inform their insurance companies that they were not injured, only to experience symptoms of maladies such as whiplash, back pain, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, etc., sometimes weeks after their claim has ended and been paid. This means they are left incurring more medical bills, possibly losing income if they are unable to work, without any insurance to rely on.
How no-fault insurance helps you
When they learn that Florida is a no-fault insurance state, many are confused about who gains from it – surely not the driver who caused the accident but doesn’t suffer any repercussions! Fortunately, this is not the case. In fact, no-fault insurance is meant to help you, the innocent victim of the accident.
Fighting car insurance companies over who’s fault it was delays the insurance claim process. Not only that, but it also means that in order for the victim to get medical bills paid for, the insurance companies need to arrive at a decision; complicated claims could take months or even years to get to the bottom of, which means you are waiting months or years to pay off your medical bills. This helps no one. Instead, Florida car insurance companies are not focused on placing fault, and the victim of an accident can rely on their own car insurance to pay their own bills.
However, if you do not see a doctor immediately to confirm your health if you don’t feel injured, your insurance company may not be obligated to pay for your bills!